Bring Me To Life
by Child of the Ancients
Summary: Myra is killed and then brought back to life by Koenma so she can assist the spirit detectives. She helps them out as much as she can, but there's one problem with her. Her mother abused her, so Myra is incredibly withdrawn.
1. Default Chapter

Bring Me to Life 

Chapter One 

I looked up from my homework the instant I heard the front door open and slam shut. My mother, my only family, had just arrived home. Yippee. Personally, I would have preferred if she had stayed at work until after I had gone to bed, but my mother's schedule varied from day to day. I never liked being home when my mother was.

A few seconds later, my bedroom door violently swung open, revealing my mother standing in the doorway, her brown eyes blazing like fire. She began hatefully yelling at me, barely taking time to breath, and she glared at me through it all.

Completely used to her tirade, I merely nodded my head and said, "Yes, ma'am." She yelled at me everyday, usually for no reason other than she was in a bad mood. As strange as it seemed, my mother had no love for me. I was just a nuisance to her, and she blamed me for the fact that my father, her husband, was dead. He had died in a car wreck when I had been five. I admitted it was my fault, especially since my mother was never wrong and she blamed me for his death. She blamed everything on me... not that I could blame her. Most of the stuff she yelled at me for probably was my fault, whether or not I could see how that was possible.

As the minutes ticked by, her reasons for being angry at me became increasingly harder to understand. She quickly regressed to saying that I had caused one of her co-workers to pick on her, and that it was my fault her boss had said that "she needed to straighten up her act or prepare to be fired." Things quickly became worse when she ran out of reasons. Whenever that happened, she resorted to insulting me. 

I waited for ten more minutes, calmly anticipating what was going to happen next. She didn't disappoint me. Fury twisting her face, she roughly grabbed my wrist and pulled me into a standing position, her grip so hard that I knew I would be bruised in the morning. A moment later, while yelling at me for being an idiot, she slapped me, putting enough strength behind the move to make me stagger.

"No wonder your father decided to die on us," she snarled at me. "You're a disappointment, a little stupid whore who doesn't know right from left. When you do finally die, God will send you to hell, and when you get there, Satan will only spit on you."

My blue eyes completely blank, I stared up at her. Many years ago, I had trapped all my emotions deep inside myself, locking them up and throwing away the key. Since then, I hadn't laughed, or smiled, or even yelled. I was about as robotic as a person could become, and that was the only reason I was still alive.

"Myra, get out of my house!" my mother screamed, throwing me across the room so I painfully collided with the wall. I hated things made of concrete. "Pack up and leave! I never want to see you again. You're eighteen, so you can live on your own!" 

"Yes, ma'am." I nodded my head and immediately moved to do what she wanted. It didn't take me long to throw my few clothes items and other possessions into a suitcase. I shoved all my baby-sitting money into my pocket, pulled on my jacket, and walked past my mom to go outside. 

The setting sun casting a red glow over my small car, I tossed the suitcase into the trunk and slid into the driver's seat. My mother hadn't bought the car for me; I had worked hard at my burger-flipping job to pay for it. All my savings from my job were in a bank downtown, and that was my first stop. It was time to withdraw everything. 

My stop at the bank was quick and uneventful, even though the poor teller found it strange I was withdrawing all my savings, which amounted to quite a bit... over five thousand dollars. I had barely ever spent any of my earnings. I had always had bigger plans for my money, like college. 

It didn't bother me that I was leaving the house. It had never been home, so I really didn't care. My mother had never loved me or even slightly cared about me, and I had no friends. I was the official freak of the school, and no one ever wanted anything to do with me. Of course, that had not mattered to me in the least. I wasn't big on socializing, and I disliked drawing attention to myself in any way, shape, or form. 

I drove for three hours nonstop, finally ending up in a slightly larger town than the one I had lived in for eighteen years. Since it was past ten at night, no banks were open. I calmly found a cheap hotel and rented a room. The place was shabby, but I really didn't mind. It was better than my room at home. Anything was better than my old home.

In the morning around nine, I paid about fifty dollars for the room in cash, and then left for a bank. I found one downtown. It looked nice, and it was another branch of the bank that I had used in my old town.

I walked in, leaving a little bit of my money in my car, and stood in line for the teller. Within minutes, my patience paid off, and I was at the front of the line. I quickly set up an account, depositing the $5,000 I had brought in. I still had about a hundred dollars out in my vehicle. Right as I began to leave the bank, two men in ski masks walked in.

My eyes widening, I froze as the two masked men pulled out guns. One of them even fired into the ceiling. Then, they ordered us to hit the floor. I knelt down, bowing my head so my light brown hair covered my face. 

The men approached the tellers, yelling at them to put all the money in a bag. They rushed to obey. The man who had shot off his gun earlier put the weapon away so he could grab the bag of money from a teller. Then, the other man gestured towards a little girl. 

"Hey, sweetie. Would you please come here?" He beckoned to her, but she remained where she was, clinging to her mother. The man wanted a hostage, a human barrier, but she wasn't cooperating. She was too scared to move, and I couldn't blame her. I would have been beyond terrified at her age. 

The man moved to grab the child, but I suddenly reacted, jumping up and grabbing the man's gun as he stood there in shock. I aimed the gun at the two men, expecting them to retaliate. 

The man with the money set the bag on the ground as he pulled out his shot gun. "Safety's on," he informed me coolly as he pulled the trigger. A bullet went through my chest right when the cops arrived. 

I saw four men in blue uniforms rush into the room as the robber fired another bullet at me, aiming at my head. Everything promptly became black. 

  


* * *

I opened my eyes to find myself floating above my body. The police officers were arresting the robbers, and I could see people all around crying and in hysterics. I watched myself be put into a body bag. I was dead, and everyone knew it. They hadn't even had an EMT check me over. Hey, if someone had half his brain missing, I'd assume he was dead too.

Over to the side, I could see the little girl I had tried to protect. She seemed to be okay... shaken, but okay. I felt a little better knowing that she was alive. Then her mother came over and hugged her. The girl would most definitely be okay. She had a mother who cared about her.

The only question was, what was I supposed to do? I was dead--a spirit. Wasn't I supposed to go to heaven or hell? Hmmm... Interesting question. Considering that I was still floating around, I guessed that I didn't get to go to either place. My mother had been right. I wasn't welcome in either paradise or Hades. Go figure.

I left the scene, seeing no reason to stay there. I was dead, the girl was alive, and the robbers were going to prison. What more did I need to know? Oh yeah. I wanted to know what I was supposed to do for the rest of eternity.

"What do ghosts do?" I asked myself, flying high up into the sky so I could stare down at the city and the ant-sized people. I had always loved high places and imagining all the people were just tiny dolls. 

"Oh goody. You already know you're dead," a cheerful voice commented. 

I turned to see a girl on flying on an oar, dressed in a pink kimono. She had sky blue hair in a high ponytail and purple eyes. Definitely strange. 

"The top of my head was blown off. That's kind of hard to miss," I replied neutrally, not really questioning how or why she could see me. For crying out loud, she was flying around on a wooden oar. You just don't question someone who can do that.

"Well, Myra Yurimo, I'm Botan," the peppy girl stated.

"Okay." I shrugged slightly, unsure about how she wanted me to react, not that I cared. I usually tried to do what people wanted, if only so I wouldn't be beat up. Of course, if the violence was unavoidable, then I simply took it and then went on with life. I was used to being abused.

She sweatdropped. "I'm here to take you to the spirit world to see Koenma."

"Okay." I didn't know who Koenma was, but I had a feeling I would find out soon.

Botan frowned. "Is that all you're going to say?" she demanded, sounding a little annoyed. Her amythest eyes watched me, her expression a combination of confusion, irritation, and disappointment.

I stared at her for a moment, wondering how much sugar she had had earlier. She was much more hyper than anyone else I had ever met, and that was saying something. She was even peppier than my old school's cheerleaders. Quite a feat, to be sure. "Perhaps."

"Fine, let's go." She pulled me onto her oar, and then we were off, flying through the air much faster than I would have thought possible.

  


* * *

Botan and I landed in front of a building, which turned out to be an incredibly busy place. I was reminded of an office building that was a year behind on its paperwork. Instead of people, humanoid creatures in all different colors raced about, carrying huge stacks of papers here, there, and everywhere. It was almost chaos.

My eyes blank, I followed the peppy girl through the mess and into an office. The office was a little more organized than the rest of the place, but not by much. The single desk was piled three feet high with papers, which completely covered up whoever was sitting in the chair behind it all. 

"Koenma sir, I've brought Myra to see you," Botan stated.

"Myra?" a young voice called out from behind all the papers. "Oh yes, the one with the case like Yusuke's. I remember now." Small hands parted the stacks of papers, revealing a toddler with a pacifier in his mouth and a big blue hat on his head.

"Why am I here?" I inquired, feeling a little bored. The people weren't making any sense, and I just wanted to know what was going on. Of course, I would probably be smacked for my idiotic question, but I was already dead, so what else could they do to me?

"You weren't supposed to die today," Koenma informed me, somehow clearly talking around the object in his mouth. Interesting. I couldn't help but wonder how he did it.

"Okay." I accepted that fact easily. More than likely, I was supposed to live longer so they could prepare a place outside of heaven and hell for me where I could live out eternity by myself. That would be my luck, sadly enough.

"The little girl was supposed to be taken as a hostage and then later released. The bank robbers would have been caught within twenty-four hours. Your interference was not necessary," the toddler stated, voice calm.

I nodded my head. "Okay." It wasn't the first time my actions had proved to be worthless, and it probably wouldn't be the last time. I rarely ever did anything that proved to be worthwhile.

The ruler sighed, probably exhausted with my attitude just like Botan. "So, I want to bring you back to life."

"No thank you," I replied. "I'd rather stay dead." Why would I want to return? It wasn't like my life had actually had a purpose. My mother had hated me, no one at school had even really tried to befriend me, and I had killed my father. 

"I don't think you really mean that," Botan commented firmly. She sounded so sure of herself. Too bad she had misjudged me. "Yusuke said the same thing, but he quickly found out differently." 

I turned to the blue-haired woman. "I don't want to go back." 

"Why?" Koenma inquired. 

I shrugged. "There's no point." I had no purpose, no loved ones, and no friends, so life had no meaning for me. Besides, I deserved death.

He sweatdropped. "You've got to be joking."

"I don't joke; I can't joke," I informed him calmly, my eyes blank. If they wouldn't believe me, then I would just have to convince them another way that I did not want to come back to life. "And you can't bring me back to life anyway. The top part of my head was blown off. I can't re-inhabit my body." 

"I know that!" Koenma exclaimed, sounding a little annoyed, which meant he would hit me soon. My mother always became violent whenever she was angry or even the tiniest bit annoyed. "I have a different body picked out for you."

Botan just about fell over. "What?!" Obviously people weren't given new bodies every day. Though whether that was a good or bad thing, I didn't know.

"A young demoness just died, and her body has been well preserved for you," the toddler said. 

"That's nice, but I would rather stay dead," I replied. What good would coming back to life do me? None, that was what. Worthless people, like me, needed to stay dead.

Koenma hung his head. "Botan, do you think you could fetch Yusuke for me? I think it might do her some good to talk to him." 

"Alright. I'll be right back." The bubbly girl left, leaving me alone with the toddler.

I really didn't know what to do, so I just leaned back against a wall and waited. 

  


* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Botan walked back into the room with a teenage boy. He appeared to be about fifteen or sixteen with greased-back black hair and chocolate brown eyes. He was wearing a green school uniform, and he didn't look all that happy. He obviously didn't liked being dragged around by Botan, not that I could blame him.

"What's the deal? What'd you have to drag me all the way here for?" he demanded, crossing his arms as he glared at everything around him. "What's pacifier-breath want with me this time?"

"Yusuke, I would rather you not call me that," Koenma stated. "And you're here because of her." He pointed at me. "She sacrificed herself to save someone, just like you did, and she has a chance to come back to life. However, she keeps saying that she wants to stay dead."

Yusuke looked at me, his brown eyes gazing into my blue ones. He didn't have one of those soul-piercing gazes, which I believed was a good thing. I didn't want the sight of my ugly soul scarring him for life. "Why don't you want to come back to life?"

I shrugged. "I just don't want to."

"I'm sure your friends and family would love to see you again," he stated, sounding sincere. He believed in what he was saying. Good for him. Too bad it didn't apply to me. "I know that mine were happy to see me."

It was almost amusing how he assumed people would want to see me again. He obviously knew nothing about me, which would probably turn out to be a good thing in the long run; however, it seemed I would have to enlighten him a little just so he would give up. "I have no friends, and my mother could care less about me," I informed him.

"That's what I thought, but I learned differently," Yusuke told me. "Moms love their kids, whether they show it or not." 

"Okay." I shrugged, not really caring what he said. I wasn't going to change my mind, mainly because I knew the truth. My mother had hated me with a neverending passion. 

Botan stepped into the conversation at that moment. "Perhaps you should go to your wake, see what people say about you."

"Okay," I replied. It wasn't like I was allowed to argue all that much.

Yusuke scowled at me. "I'm really beginning to dislike you. Don't you have emotions?" 

"No." I could tell that my simple, neutral answers were getting under his skin, but I didn't know what else to do. I never became angry, I didn't cry, and I hadn't laughed in over thirteen years. For emotions I was left with detachment, fear, confusion, and surprise. 

He growled. "I'm going with, just to see her proved wrong." 

I shrugged. "Okay." 

Koenma finally noticed just how angry Yusuke was becoming with me, because he ushered us out of his office, telling Botan exactly what he wanted her to do before shutting his door in my face. 

  


* * *

  


* * *

  


* * *

CotA: *sitting on Zebez's lap in front of the computer* Yea! I finally posted a new YYH story. *claps hands* And one of my friends has been giving me so many ideas for this. 

Zebez: It should be pretty good then, especially if I help you too. *hugs CotA around the waist* 

CotA: After a while, I'll introduce another new character, but that's a little bit in the future. Also, if any of you can figure out what genre I should put this in, please tell me. I don't have a clue. There's going to be some action... eventually. As well as some romance... eventually. *sighs*

Zebez: Don't forget the humor with the chef's hat and the shopping trip. *grins* Those are going to be great scenes.

Sess-chan: *walks into the room* Perhaps you should merely leave it under general until you come up with some kind of idea.

CotA: That's a whole lot of help.

Sess-chan: Get rid of the half breed and perhaps I'll help more. 

CotA: No. He's my new muse. *sighs as the two demons begin to argue* Grande Dios sobre. I'm gonna go work on a new chappie while they duke it out. Hope everyone enjoyed the first chappie! *walks out of the room*


	2. Chapter 2

All three of us (Botan, Yusuke and myself) went to my wake. Both Yusuke and Botan could see me and talk to me, only because Botan was some kind of ferry girl and Yusuke had a little device that the blue-haired female had given him. The device didn't do him much good. I didn't talk a whole lot. 

I floated around, seeing what everyone at my wake, my visitation, was up to. There was no one there, not even my mother. When two people finally walked in, they were the janitors hired to clean up the room. They couldn't see Yusuke because of the device. In exchange for letting Yusuke see and talk to me, it made it so living people couldn't see or hear him. Interesting trade-off. 

"It's sad how no one cares about her," the first man commented. 

"Yeah. She saved a little girl's life, but her mother is out partying," the second man replied. "I guess she sacrificed her life because she knew that no one would miss her if she died." 

After hearing that, Botan and Yusuke just walked away while I floated after them. They both looked sad, as if they really hadn't been expecting me to tell the truth. 

"You should still come back to life," Yusuke stated. "If only to prove to people that they were stupid to not care about you."

I shook my head at him. "Why? What would be the point?"

"You would be able to help more people like that little girl," Botan added.

That statement caught my attention. I turned to look at the strange woman, feeling a little curious. "How so?"

She blinked in surprise, as if she had been expecting me to brush her off. "Well, since you'll be given a demon body, you'll be stronger and faster," she answered. "You'll probably get to join Yusuke and the others on some of their missions."

That didn't sound too bad. While helping the girl had proved to be pointless, since she would have lived anyway, I had actually felt like I had been a worthwhile human being when I had tried to save her. For the first time since I could remember, I had actually done something I felt had been a good thing. I wanted to help more people, and if coming back to life would give me that chance... 

"What kind of missions?" I inquired. 

Botan sighed in relief. "They go after evil demons and save innocent people."

"Okay. I'll come back to life." I would have liked a little more specific explanation about the missions, but I guessed that it would work. It wasn't like I could protest and demand a better answer. 

Suddenly, Koenma appeared, which surprised Yusuke to no end. Me, I just floated and stared at him. It took quite a bit to shock me. "So, I'll install you in your new body immediately." The toddler rubbed his hands together, and suddenly my surroundings were gone, replaced with new ones. 

I was almost shocked but not quite. After all, I was dead. It would take more than teleporting me somewhere to get a reaction out of me.

The place he had brought Yusuke, Botan, and me to was a little unusual though. We were in the slums, and since it was after dark, I could see drug dealers and prostitutes on almost every corner. I didn't see it as a great place to find a new body.

"Her new body's... here?" Yusuke didn't sound too impressed, but maybe that was because he was busy trying to hang onto Botan's oar. He probably didn't want to fall fifty feet to the concrete surface of the roof beneath us.

"Well, yes," Koenma replied. "It's in the building directly below us."

I followed the toddler directly through the roof, while Botan and Yusuke took a different route--the front door. Why they did that, I didn't know. Of course, I didn't care either. It was none of my business anyway.

Floating through solid objects was strange, but it didn't really bother me. I was a ghost, so it only seemed natural that I'd be able to go through walls and such. 

Koenma led me to a shabby apartment where a strange-looking girl lay crumpled on the floor. I couldn't see her face because of her hair, but that was okay. Her hair was interesting enough to catch my attention. It was a twilight blue at the roots, and as my eyes followed the strands down to the ends, the color faded to a beautiful vibrant purple. The hair was long too, probably coming down to her ankles whenever she stood up. I wondered how much she had paid for that dye job. It must have cost a fortune.

She was normal height--about five feet... maybe a few inches more or less. It was hard to tell with her laying on the floor, her legs partially bent. She was dressed in all black leather, but there wasn't all that much leather on her. She was wearing the tiniest mini-skirt I had ever seen, and a revealing halter top that was mostly concealed by her hair. Her boots covered the most skin, and they only came up to the middle of her calves. She was--had been--a prostitute. 

"Dang..." Yusuke commented as he stared at the body. "Nice legs. Body, too."

"Yusuke!" Botan smacked him over the head with her oar, which he protested to rather loudly. The hit had obviously hurt him.

"She was a whore," I stated as my eyes drifted off to the side. I could see a razor blade along with some needles off to the side. "A druggie, too." 

"Yes, well... this is the best body we have at the moment," Koenma said. "And we don't have much time before I won't be able to put you in a body at all."

"I'd hate to see the worst body," Yusuke muttered, crossing his arms. He didn't sound impressed 

I shrugged, not really caring what body I got. It wasn't like I could argue anyway. Arguing meant punishment... painful punishment, and since I was coming back to life, I could easily be hurt again. "Okay. Put me in." 

An expression of concentration on his face, Koenma held his hands over the body, making it glow gold. Then, he pointed at me. I felt a tugging, like someone was trying to pull me towards the body on the ground. Then, everything became black. 

  


* * *

I woke up to find myself lying on the floor, a strange feeling coursing through my body. I sat up, finding Yusuke kneeling down beside me. He didn't look right, probably because of all the funny colors that seemed to be painted all over him. Botan wasn't all that far away, but Koenma was gone. 

"How do you feel?" Botan inquired softly, looking a little worried. At least, I thought she looked worried. It was kind of hard to tell with my vision swimming.

I held one of my new, dainty hands in front of my face and flexed my fingers. "I don't know." My speech was slurred, so I connected all the dots and came to a conclusion after about ten minutes of thinking. My new body was on a drug high. Just great. 

"Just how did the last owner of this body die?" Yusuke asked the blue-haired girl. 

Botan pulled out a little book and flipped through it for a few moments before stopping at a page somewhere near the middle. "Drug overdose."

"WHAT?" He sounded surprised, but I didn't share his feelings. I had actually been expecting that statement.

While Yusuke tried to recover, I decided to ask Botan a question. "How old am I?" I was trying to force my brain to work, but it was having problems. Sleep was beginning to sound really good. 

"Sixteen years and four days," she answered, reading the information of the same page as earlier. 

"Okay," I replied, my voice sounding strange to my ears. It was beautiful, the kind of voice most people would kill for. As for me, I could have easily done without it. What good would a pretty voice do me when trying to help people? Probably none.

I tried to stand up, but my legs couldn't quite support me. I fell back down. The drug high was really messing with me, and I didn't like it. Of course, I knew what was going to come later--withdrawal. That was going to suck and suck big-time, not that it could be anything worse than what I had experienced before.

"I think we should get you out of here," Yusuke said, frowning. "Botan, can you take her to Genkai's?" 

Botan smacked her palm against her forehead. "Of course! Yukina's there. She'll be able to help Myra." 

"If she can't, Kurama might be able to," he replied. "A lot of drugs are made at least partially from plants." 

They might have talked some more, but my ears quit on me, as did my sight. I could still feel and smell, but that was it. Then, before I knew it, I became unconscious. 

  


* * *

I woke up to hear two voices arguing. One I identified as Yusuke's voice, but the other seemed to belong to an old woman. Neither sounded too happy, but the old woman easily remained calm. 

"I want her gone as soon as she wakes up," the old woman stated, tone firm. She was someone people just wouldn't want to mess with

"Grandma, she isn't a slut or a drug addict," Yusuke protested. 

"Oh, she isn't? Then I guess my eyes and senses are deceiving me then," she responded, sounding a little sarcastic.

"Koenma wanted to bring a girl back to life, but since her body was totaled, he had to give her a different one. The best one he could find was the one she has," he snapped back. "She's going to be part of the team." 

"If that was the best body Koenma could find, then I think he used the wrong brain," she commented. 

I stood up, wrapping the bed-sheet around me. I didn't like the outfit I was in. Maybe the old woman would have something I could wear. 

Trying not to trip on the sheet, I walked to the door and opened it. I saw Yusuke and an old woman with pink-tinted gray hair sitting on the ground. She was drinking tea and dressed in white pants, a white long-sleeved shirt, and a red tunic. I walked up to them, wondering what was going on. 

"I see that you're finally up," she stated, giving Yusuke a look to make sure he stayed quiet. It was easy to see who was in charge, although he didn't completely obey. He muttered rude phrases under his breath, but Genkai just ignored him.

I looked down at her, unsure of what to say. So, I stayed silent. It was better not to say anything so I wouldn't anger people.

"Don't you talk?" she inquired sharply.

I nodded my head. "Yes."

She took a sip of her tea, as calm as ever. "Then tell me your name."

"Myra." I didn't feel like using my last name. After all, it wasn't like my mother claimed me, and I didn't want to use her name anyway. 

"Age?" She looked up at me, her gaze almost seeming to look into my soul.

"Eighteen," I answered before correcting myself. "No. Sixteen."

She set down her empty tea cup. "What color are your eyes?"

"Blue." I frowned when I realized that my eyes were possibly a different color. I was in a new body, and considering how strange my hair color was...

"They're pink," the old woman corrected.

I bowed my head. "Yes, ma'am."

"What kind of demon are you?" she asked, brown eyes studying me.

I shrugged. "I don't know."

"Find out," she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am." 

She glared at me. "You're going to make a pathetic fighter if you have no spirit." 

"Yes, ma'am."

Yusuke hung his head and sweatdropped. "That's your cue to yell at her or something!" he declared. 

I looked over at him, eyes blank. "I don't yell."

"Do you take drugs?" the old woman inquired. 

I shook my head. "No."

Her eyes bored into mine. "Why?"

"I don't want to take drugs. They're a waste of time and money."

She was silent for a few moments, obviously contemplating something. "You can stay." 

"Took you long enough to say that," Yusuke commented, sounding peeved. He was one of those people who were short-tempered and stubborn.

"But you'll have to earn your keep," she added. "And Yusuke, I can still beat you in battle if I need to." 

He snorted. "Whatever." 

"I can work," I stated neutrally. 

"Good." She stood up. "I'm Genkai, as I'm sure the dimwit has already told you."

"Watch it, Grandma," Yusuke threatened, although the old woman ignored him. It seemed arguments between them were normal. 

"Okay," I replied simply, my eyes on the short woman. She was incredibly short--three and a half feet, maybe four. Dwarf was what came to my mind when I looked down at her, but I had the distinct feeling that she was a dangerous dwarf. There was just something about the look in her eyes that warned me. 

"And your first chore will be sweeping the paths." Genkai pointed to a broom in the corner. 

"Yes, ma'am." I unwrapped the bed-sheet from around me, knowing that I wouldn't be able to sweep and hold up the linen at the same time. I didn't like the outfit I had on, but I just had to deal with it. Perhaps I could ask Genkai about putting on something else later. 

"But you should get changed first. There's an outfit laid out for you in the room you woke up in," the old woman stated. 

"Yes, ma'am." I went back to the room and found a sky blue kimono with a white sash. I put the stuff on, and quickly found out that it didn't quite fit me. It was a little too short, and it barely fit around my chest and hips. I guess there was a reason the girl had been a whore. She certainly had possessed a rather curvy body most men would find attractive, to say the least.

With the sash holding the kimono as tightly closed as I could make it, I went back out, picked up the broom, and then went outside to sweep the paths.

I quickly found out just how many paths there were, probably because Genkai lived in a shrine. The place was quiet and peaceful, with trees all around. I actually found myself liking it, strangely enough. Although, maybe it wasn't so strange. I had always liked peaceful places because I hated people yelling at me. Yelling and silence were mutually exclusive.

As I continued to sweep the paths, I felt eyes on me, but every time I turned around, there was no one there. If anyone was staring at me, I wouldn't have blamed them. After all, I had the strangest colored hair falling down to my ankles. I would have at least glanced twice at a person with blue and purple tresses, and that was saying something.

The feeling that I was being watched didn't abate, which began to tire me. How long could someone stare at me without growing bored? No one was that interesting, especially me.

I was still being watched when I finished sweeping an hour later, but I ignored whoever was there as I went back to Genkai to ask her what else she wanted me to do. 

"Genkai, I finished the sweeping," I stated, putting the broom back where I had gotten it from. 

"Good." She stood up. "Now follow me." 

Knowing that I shouldn't question orders, I followed her, Yusuke close behind me.

"Where are we going?" he asked, glancing back over her shoulder. He must have felt the eyes too, which meant I wasn't imagining it for once.

"The dark forest," Genkai answered.

That seemed to mean something to Yusuke. "You're going to send Myra through that?" He didn't sound happy. What was the dark forest?

She nodded. "Yes. If she's going to join your team, then she needs training." 

I wasn't quite sure what she meant by training, but I didn't want to ask. I had a feeling I was going to find out soon enough anyway.

"So, how long do you think it'll take for Hiei to join us?" he wondered, looking over his shoulder once again.

"Why should I care?" Genkai inquired, stopping at the end of a path. She gestured towards the forest. "This is the dark forest. On the other side is a tall tree. I want you to use your spirit awareness to find the safest route through there and make it to the tree." 

"Okay." I didn't know what spirit awareness was, and I really didn't care. It honestly couldn't have been that important, and it sounded so silly that it probably didn't exist anyway.

My manner calm, I walked into the forest. It was dark, and something about it made me feel uncomfortable. What was more, I could still feel those same eyes on me. Someone was following me. 

I frowned slightly, unsure about how to deal with my stalker. He was quiet, I would give him that, and he was incredibly good at staying out of sight. Was he the person Yusuke had been talking about? The one named Hiei? It was possible, but I wasn't big on assuming, so I decided to just wait and see what would happen. 

Paying attention to my surroundings, I kept on walking. Every so often, I would get the urge to go one way or another, and I would do it. After all, it wasn't like I had any better guides. I just knew that I had to get to some tall tree.

I picked my way through some thick underbrush, briefly glancing over my shoulder at where I could sense someone watching me from. I couldn't see anything, only blackness.

Shrugging, I focused all of my attention on what I was doing. If my stalker hadn't done anything yet, then he or she probably wasn't going to do anything at all.

I could suddenly sense something evil off to my right, so I went to the left, circling around the bad stuff I felt.

As I continued to walk, my legs began to shake slightly, and I suddenly began to feel ill. My vision became a little fuzzy, and my brain felt sluggish. Something was wrong with me. When I began to feel hot and cold at the same time, I came to a conclusion--I was experiencing some form of withdrawal. 

The strange thing was, I could have sworn that withdrawal was much worse than what I was going through... as well as different. Maybe it was because I had a demon body, or maybe it was because the body had been dead for a while. I didn't know, and I didn't care much either. All that mattered was that it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

I walked some more, and my symptoms became worse. Soon, I couldn't see. When I lost my vision, I just closed my eyes and walked slower, using my hands to feel my way around; however, I hated being blind. With everything being black, I used my other senses even more. I stayed away from anything bad that I could sense, even though I didn't quite know why I did it. 

Some time later, walking became increasingly difficult. My legs almost refused to support me, and I suddenly realized just how hungry I was. Strange. I hadn't felt hungry earlier. It probably had something to do with the fact that I was going through withdrawal.

I mentally shrugged and continued to walk as best as I could. I needed to get to the tree... wherever that was. If I wanted to help people, then I had to reach the tree.

Stumbling, I finally fell down and couldn't stand back up. I was tired, and my legs were shaking so bad that they couldn't hold me up. My eyesight hadn't improved, and my stomach only growled. I was beginning to think that it would have been better to stay dead. I hated being hungry, even though I was used to it. My mother hadn't been big on feeding me. 

I leaned back against a tree and used it to help myself stand up. The bark hurt my hands, but I figured it was better to keep moving than save my hands. I didn't like the forest all that much. It felt wrong in a way. Perhaps there was a reason it was called the dark forest.

The instant I let go of the tree, I came tumbling down, striking my head on something hard and blacking out. 

  


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CotA: Okay people. A new chappie. Yippee! *cheers* Despite the pathetically few reviews I have received, I plan to keep going on this story, mainly because a good friend of mine is reading this and seriously helping me with the plot and such. She has so many funny ideas. *laughs* Although, I can't help but feel a little sorry for the poor Reikai Tantei. *giggles* Oh, btw, if anyone wants, I'll add you to my mailing list. Alright. Onto the review responses. 

Yanou: I think you got to the... third chapter or something. I'm not quite sure. I didn't divide it up into chapters until after you read it. *shrugs* I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually.

Samantha1434: I will update soon. 

White-Crystal: Thanks. I will continue. 


	3. Chapter 3

I opened my eyes to find a beautiful girl with red eyes and light blue hair looking down at me, looking rather relieved. Why she was relieved, I didn't know. I highly doubted it was because I had woken up. 

"Good. You're up. I was beginning to worry." She smiled at me, the expression brightening up her already sweet face. "Do you think you can sit up?" 

I nodded my head. "Yes." I sat up, happy to have my vision back. There was just something about not being able to see that had bothered me. Maybe it was the fact that I depended so much on my vision, or maybe I just hated becoming any more defective than I aready was.

Looking around the room, I realized that I was back at Genkai's, in the same room I had been in before. I also noticed that I was wearing almost the exact same outfit the girl had on. The only difference was that the kimono fit the red-eyed girl so much better than me. 

"You took a bad fall in that forest, but Hiei brought you back here." She picked a cup off of a tray, her movements graceful. "Try to drink this."

I took the cup from her hands, hesitantly sipping at it. It was herbal tea. Great. I had never really liked tea, but I drank it anyway. It was probably something to help me recover from whatever had happened. 

"You should eat something if you can," the girl stated, putting a bowl of some kind of soup in my hands. Then, she handed me a spoon. I suddenly had the feeling that the girl beside me was one of those people with a caring, sweet soul. She was the kind of person who always thought of others before herself. 

I ate the soup without really tasting it. My mind was on other things.

First, who was Hiei? Was he the guy that had followed me around the shrine and into the forest? 

Second, why had he rescued me? I wasn't all that important, and I certainly wasn't worth rescuing. For heaven's sake. If I had been Hiei, I wouldn't have even rescued myself. Sad, but true.

Third, where was Genkai and Yusuke? Well, that had been a stupid thing to wonder, but I still was a little curious. I would never voice such an idiotic question out loud, but I saw nothing too wrong with thinking it.

And finally, who was the girl taking care of me? I had never met anyone like her before. She had a calming presence to her, and I actually felt welcome near her. It was strange, because I had never felt welcome near anyone before. I had always felt like an outcast... like someone who wasn't wanted. 

"Who are you?" I asked softly as soon as I finished off the soup.

"Yukina," she answered, voice sweet and kind. "I live here with Genkai at the moment."

"Okay." I began to climb out of bed, but she stopped me.

"You should rest some more. I healed the cut on your head, but you're still recovering," Yukina stated. 

I stared at her for a moment. Had she just said that she had healed a cut on my head? Strange. Perhaps I had heard her wrong. Of course, considering how unusual my life had become, I probably had heard her correctly.

I nodded my head. "Okay." I laid back down. "Thank you."

She smiled at me. "You're welcome." She put the dishes back on the tray and stood up, turning to leave. 

"Who's Hiei?" I asked suddenly. Normally, I would have kept my mouth shut, but Yukina seemed so sweet that I felt comfortable enough to talk to her a little.

"He's a good friend. I'll let you see him after you get some sleep," Yukina replied.

"Okay." I wasn't sure if I wanted to see Hiei or not, but I figured the least I could do was thank him for helping me.

"Good night." With that said, Yukina left me alone.

I understood that I was supposed to sleep, but I wasn't tired. So, I just stared at the ceiling for a while. I didn't move a muscle until I felt eyes on me again.

Those eyes were really beginning to become a little old. It was about time I had a little chat with whoever was watching me, if only to tell him that I wasn't worth staring at.

I sat up, my long hair falling all around me. For years I had wanted super long hair, and since I finally had it, I was beginning to contemplate cutting it. The stupid stuff was just too long, but, then again, I still kind of liked it. My hair was growing on me, even the off-the-wall color.

I climbed out of bed, pleasantly surprised that I didn't feel shaky at all. My withdrawal symptoms were gone for the moment, thank goodness. I liked being able to walk, which I proved by going over to the wide open window. 

Whoever was staring at me was somewhere outside. I could sense him. He was on my... left. I turned my head to look precisely where I knew he was.

"Who are you?" I asked, not knowing whether I would receive an answer or not. I was betting that I wouldn't. 

A man dressed in all black suddenly appeared on a tree branch. His red eyes stared into mine, his flame-shaped black hair with a white star-burst blowing in the wind. From what I could tell, he was short, probably a little shorter than me, and he had a white cloth tied around his forehead.

"Hiei," he answered after a moment, voice calm and cool. He was a tough guy, but not like one of the guys who pretended to be tough. He was just naturally that way. I could tell that he was a person who others just wouldn't want to mess with, which probably would have included me if I cared even a little about staying alive for my own sake.

So, the one who had helped me and the one who had been following me were the same. Interesting. It didn't make much sense, but then, the fact that I was in a different body didn't make much sense.

"Okay." I stared at him for a moment, wondering why he had been following me.

Hiei growled. "Stop staring at me." I was sure that the order was meant to be rude, but it didn't bother me at all. I just turned my head and stared at a tree that was directly in front of me. 

"Thank you for saving me, but why were you following me?" I inquired softly.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him shrug. So, either he didn't know or he didn't want to answer. Which ever it was, I would let it be. It wasn't important enough to press him for a real response. 

"I just wanted to let you know that following me around is a complete waste of anyone's time, including yours. I'm sure you could find something better to do," I informed him, still staring at the tree. 

Hiei didn't say anything back, so I assumed the discussion was over. Without saying another word, I went back to the bed and laid down. I didn't have anything else to do, so the least I could do was obey Yukina and rest some. Hey, for all I knew, it really would do me some good.

I suddenly heard someone come in through the window, which I found a little strange. Sitting up and turning my head to look in that direction, I saw Hiei standing there. He was frowning, obviously displeased about something.

"Yes?" I asked softly, instinctively knowing that he wouldn't speak first. He just wasn't the type. The black-haired man seemed more the kind of guy who would rather sit off to the side, glare, and insult people. 

"Why are you here?" he inquired, glaring at me with his red eyes, proving that I had been right about at least one thing. He probably enjoyed insulting people too. 

I noticed one thing about him that actually caught my attention. His eyes were the same color as Yukina's eyes. Interesting, but not important at the moment. "I'm not quite sure," I replied. "You might want to ask Yusuke." 

Our pathetic conversation was interrupted when Botan tried to quietly enter the room. She failed miserably, but that was okay. I hadn't been asleep.

"Oh good! You're awake!" she exclaimed brightly. "Hello, Hiei." She smiled at him, obviously not surprised to see him there. She had most likely dealt with him before. I wasn't sure who had it worse off: Hiei for having to put up with Botan's bubbly, annoying disposition; or Botan, for dealing with Hiei's bad-ass attitude. For some reason, I felt Hiei had it a whole lot worse.

"Hn." Without saying another word, he went out the window. A rather strange way to enter and exit, but who was I to criticize him? I wasn't even human anymore.

Botan didn't seem to mind Hiei's quick disappearance. She merely sat down at the foot of my bed and continued to smile, her amethyst eyes sparkling. 

I was beginning to tire of her constantly happy attitude. Just how peppy could one person act? Also, how long could she remain that way? Interesting questions, but I doubted I would ever receive an answer for them even if I asked.

"Well, I have a few things to tell you that you might want to know," the cheery female stated. 

I blinked. "Okay." 

"First of all, the kind of demon you are," she began. "You're half siren."

"Siren?" I repeated softly to myself. What was she talking about?

"Do you know anything about Greek mythology?" Botan inquired. I nodded my head, easily remembering how much I had loved mythology class. "Well, all the myths about sirens came about because of the demons. Only female sirens exist, and they can enchant any male just by singing." 

"I remember that." I patiently waited for her to say what the rest of me was. If I was half siren, then the other half of me had to be something else.

"Sirens aren't physically strong, mostly because of their strange magical skill, so that's where your other half comes in," she continued. "You're also a water demon, which helps you out in the strength area. You'll probably never be as strong as Yusuke and the others, but you should be strong enough to at least defend yourself for a little while."

Half siren and half water. It made sense. "Okay," I replied.

Botan pointed at my hair. "That's natural, color and all, and if you try to cut it, it will grow back overnight. Your eyes are naturally pink too."

Well, that had been a useful bit of information. I was stuck with long hair for the rest of my life. Yippee. Though, maybe I could dye it, and my eyes could possibly be changed with contacts... if I ever gathered the courage to stick a thin, flimsy piece of chemical-covered plastic in my eye. "Okay." 

The blue-haired girl sweatdropped. "You tend to make conversations very short, ya know?" 

I hung my head, feeling that it was a bad thing. "Sorry." 

"You don't have to apologize," Botan replied, and I lifted my head to look at her. She was a strange woman, that was for sure. My mother would have slapped me and insisted on an apology... as well as a more serious punishment. 

"Okay."

She sighed. "I'm going to leave now before you end up depressing me." With one last smile, which was rather forced, she left.

I didn't mind being alone, and to be truthful, Botan annoyed me a little. She was just too cheerful, so her personality clashed some with mine. It wasn't enough to mention though. Besides, I hated to complain. It usually got me in trouble.

With no one in the room anymore, I decided to sleep, which I did. It was strange, sleeping in a new place in a new bed... and in a new body. Somehow though, I did sleep for at least an hour. I dreamt, but I couldn't remember even one dream. I rarely ever did anyway, and the ones I did remember were always nightmares. Horrible nightmares. 

  


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CotA: Yea! A new chappie! *does a happy dance*

Zebez: Where do you find so much energy? I thought school drained you.

CotA: *shrugs* Dunno.

Sess-chan: Since she's not a half demon like you, she recovers faster than you would expect.

Zebez: She's not a full demon either.

CotA: I'm half Ancient, and my mom was from Jurai. *smiles* Which that might just account for my strange powers.

Sess-chan: As interesting as your lineage is, perhaps we should move on. The review responses are below. 

colddarkness69: It's okay to get lost in thought. I do it often enough. *blinks* Did you actually scare Hiei? Wow... Can you give me some tips? I can't even surprise him.

Seiyo-san: It's pronounced Mai-rah. Thanks for asking.

Kiniki Kitsune: Yeah, Myra is a little strange. And I'm not going to give away the plot. That's a secret... even from me. Sess-chan is being mean because he hates the fact that I have a new muse. *shrugs* I'm sure he'll get over it eventually.

Yanou: Ummm... nice bat. I may need to get me one of those. I'm trying to work on the prequel right now. I only have one chapter writen. I probably won't post it for a while.

the nothing: Thanks, but I do have a reason for showing everything from Myra's POV. First of all, she's a rather... unique individual. It'd be really hard to explain her feelings and such from third person or anyone else's POV. Second, it helps the reader identify with her and understand her confusion. She doesn't know what others are thinking, so neither does the reader. Does that explain things better? 

Kitsune's Girl 370: Is this a quick enough update for you? I hope so, and I'm glad you like Myra. 


	4. Chapter 4

As soon as I woke up, I decided to go find Genkai and apologize for not making it to the tree. I had failed at the task she had given me, and she seemed the type to look down on failure no matter what the excuse. She would probably punish me.

My head down, I walked out of the bedroom and quickly found Genkai. She was sitting Indian-style in a dojo, the black mat underneath her looking a little thin and worn. The mat was possibly as old as the woman.

"Genkai, I apologize for failing," I said softly but firmly, making sure she could hear me. There was no point in apologizing if no one could understand a word I was saying.

"What was your excuse?" Genkai asked, merely glancing at me for a moment.

"Excuse?" I repeated, unsure about what she wanted to know.

"Why did you fail?" she clarified, sounding annoyed with me.

I shrugged slightly. "I don't know," I replied, not knowing what else to say. "I don't have an excuse." Truthfully, I had suffered from withdrawal, but my mother had always hated excuses, and I had a feeling that Genkai was the same way. Actually, I knew a lot of other people who hated excuses--my old teachers and classmates.

Genkai seemed to be intrigued by my answer, slightly raising one of her eyebrows. "No excuse, huh?" She grinned, but the expression was not comforting. It gave me a bad feeling. "Well, then, perhaps you would like to try again?"

I nodded my head. "Yes."

"Good." She began to walk off, not even turning around to make sure I was following. Of course, she didn't need to. I kept at her heels, knowing exactly what she wanted me to do. It wasn't that hard to figure out. She wanted what everyone else wanted--she wanted me to obey her.

Soon, I was back out in the dark forest; however, there was one difference--no one was watching me. The familiar eyes of Hiei had yet to lit on me, which I was thankful for. He had probably found something better to do with his time, which couldn't have been hard. I was pretty worthless.

After a few moments, I found out that Hiei hadn't decided to do something else. I could suddenly sense his eyes on me again, which meant I probably needed to have another talk with him. Yippee. Just what I wanted to do--socialize with someone. I preferred merely to be left alone.

Perhaps there was another way to be rid of him though. If I walked into some danger or toward the bad things I sensed, perhaps he would refuse to follow me anymore. It was certainly worth a shot, especially if I could convince Hiei to leave me alone without saying a single word to him.

Watching where I stepped, I picked my way through some underbrush and toward a "bad" area, hoping that Hiei would stop following me. He didn't. Oh well. It seemed that I would actually have to walk into the bad area. It couldn't be that bad, and if it was, the worst that could happen would be my death. After already facing death, the option didn't even worry me in the slightest... not that it ever had anyway.

I stopped walking when I was as close to the bad area as I could become, which left me standing at the edge of a minuscule pond. Actually, it reminded me of a puddle more than a pond because it was so small, and steam rose off the surface. Perhaps it was a hot spring, but that left me the question of why I felt so uncomfortable around it, while it felt like I was in danger. Surely the water was harmless. Unless, of course, there was something in the water... like a poison.

My manner calm I knelt down by the hot spring, making sure I didn't sit on my hair. I smelled the air around the water, but I couldn't detect anything unusual. The air smelled normal, so I moved my attention to the plants around the water. They appeared to be perfectly fine--green, strong, and healthy. So, that meant no poison.

It seemed that the feelings I had were absolutely worthless. Go figure. I'd never been able to do anything right before, so it made sense that I would continue to do everything wrong. Of course, that could possibly explain why Hiei was still following me. He didn't trust me not to do something incredibly stupid. Then again, maybe it didn't explain why. He had struck me as the type who had no problem letting weak or stupid people fall.

Mentally sighing, I tentatively reached out and dipped my hand in the water, which turned out to be hot enough to soothe aching muscles but cool enough not to burn skin. Nice. Perhaps Genkai would allow me to return to the hot spring and use it. I didn't dare hope though; knowing my horrible luck, she would probably forbid it.

Suddenly, a small blue face appeared just under the surface as blue webbed hands reached out and grabbed my wrist. I had just enough time to gasp before the creature pulled me into the hot spring and then underwater.

The hot liquid enveloped me, and my hair soon proved to be the greatest problem. It floated around me, tangling around my body and blocking my line of vision. My clothes restricted my leg movement, making it hard to swim back up to the surface. The blue creature kept a tight grip on me through it all, its hands the only thing I could feel that wasn't warm. It dragged me down farther as I quickly ran out of oxygen. For some reason I couldn't make him release me. I wasn't strong enough. It seemed I was going to die by drowning.

I froze for a brief moment, finally realizing the true depth of my problem. Dying didn't bother me, but if I did drown, then I wouldn't be able to help people. I wouldn't be able to save another little girl. With that thought on my mind, I focused all my strength and attention on getting back to the surface.

Strangely enough, I was able to swim up. It almost felt like the water was pushing up on me, trying to help me. Of course, I was suffering from oxygen deprivation, so I was probably merely imagining it all. First of all, water couldn't move to help me--it was an inanimate object; and second, no one--or nothing, for that matter--would ever help me. No one ever helped someone who was worthless.

Right before I broke the surface, I had to gasp in an instinctive attempt to put oxygen back in my lungs. Since I was still underwater, I breathed in the hot liquid. Not a good thing to do, that was for sure.

I surfaced, coughing and sputtering, trying to empty my lungs of the water before the creature had a chance to drag me back down. The instant I felt myself begin to fall back underwater, the creature released me. Deciding to contemplate over the reason why later, I hauled myself out of the hot spring, which was quite a feat for me. My water-logged hair was enormously heavy. Then, I coughed up the rest of the liquid that had invaded my respiratory system. My lungs and throat burned, but the pain I was experiencing was nothing compared to what I was used to. After all, my mother had tried to drown and choke me a few times.

Pushing my hair out of my face, I glanced back at the hot spring. The water was slightly red, and the body of the creature was floating near the surface, one of its hands caught between two rocks. Its throat had been slit. Someone had saved my life.

Feeling familiar eyes on me, I figured out who had helped me--Hiei. The only question was, why had he done it? I couldn't think of a single reason. I couldn't even figure out why he was still watching me. Surely he had figured out I wasn't worth his time.

"Thank you," I said softly but clearly. Whether I understood his reasons or not didn't matter. He had still helped me, so he deserved to be thanked.

As I expected, no response came. So, I stood up and began wringing out my hair and clothes. Soon, the ground beneath me resembled a small swamp. My long hair could hold quite a bit of water, it seemed.

After determining that I was as dry as I was going to become, I began walking again. I avoided all the areas which gave me bad feelings. I had learned my lesson at the hot spring, and it wasn't like putting myself in danger did any good. No matter what I did, Hiei continued to follow me like a shadow. How tiring... at least for him. He should have grown bored with me a long time ago.

Sometime later, I made it to the tall tree. At least, I assumed it was the tree I was supposed to reach. Genkai was standing underneath it, hands clasped behind her back. She looked a little surprised to see me.

"What happened to you?" she asked, frowning. I briefly wondered how long she had been waiting for me, because she sounded unhappy. It seemed that I had messed up yet again... not that it was a big surprise. I was always messing up one thing or another.

"I fell in a hot spring," I answered unemotionally. If she was angry, then it would be best not to aggravate her any more.

Genkai gave me a look that said she knew I was omitting information, but I didn't care. To say more would have been foolish and stupid. It would have sounded like an excuse, and I didn't make excuses... ever. Excuses just angered people.

"Very well. Follow me," she stated, voice neutral. I couldn't tell if she was angry at me any more. "We're going back to the shrine."

"Yes, ma'am." I trailed after the short old woman, trying my best to ignore how heavy my wet clothes were and the pair of intense eyes following me. Hiei watching me had most definitely grown tiring for me, and I really didn't feel like talking to him again about it. If I did, he'd just probably yell at me or hit me. I always tried to avoid that.

Genkai and I arrived back at the shrine in no time at all, which was probably a good thing. I could feel my withdrawal symptoms slowly returning. Oh well. As long as I didn't faint and bust my head open all over the paths that I had just swept, I didn't care what happened.

I followed the old woman inside, pausing only slightly as I crossed the threshold. Would my shadow continue watching me? It didn't matter to me what he did, but I couldn't help but wonder a little. Why was Hiei constantly following me? I wasn't interesting nor a threat to him or anyone else. I was simply worthless--a little girl with funny-colored hair and pink eyes. For heaven's sake, I looked more like a circus freak than anything.

Once inside, Genkai handed me a cloth and a bottle of window cleaner. "I assume you know what to do with this," she stated, voice as rough as normal.

I nodded my head. "Yes, ma'am."

She glared at me. "My name is Genkai. Use it."

"Ma'am?" I cocked my head to the side, unable to comprehend what she was telling me to do. She was asking me to call her by her name? Why? If I obeyed, would she yell at me afterwards for lack of respect? Hmmm... I couldn't tell by reading her face, which, of course, left me completely clueless.

"What I wouldn't give for at least one student with brains," Genkai muttered and then sighed. "Alright. Let me spell it out for you, dimwit."

I mentally winced, knowing what was coming next--a lecture and then violence. I didn't like being hit. It hurt. Everything my mom had put me through had really hurt. Being dropped off the back deck at age seven had ended with me in the hospital, both legs broken. It had been agony the whole time, and my mother hadn't cared in the least.

"You constantly calling me ma'am annoys me, so stop it and use my real name," she ordered, tone stern. She obviously meant business.

"Yes, Genkai." I could obey direct orders like that, even if I couldn't understand exactly why they were given. Maybe, someday, I'd be smart enough to comprehend, but I doubted it. Worthless people remained worthless.

"Now, get to work on the windows. Then, after supper, we'll continue with your training," the pinkish-gray haired woman informed me.

"Okay." I walked off to do my job, fighting against the dizziness that was sweeping through me. It took some effort, but I managed to stay upright and conscious... quite a feat for me.

I was interrupted only twice while I cleaned windows. Yukina checked on me once, making sure I was still alive and functioning. It confused me about how sweet and kind she was to me. Of course, I had the feeling she was that way with everyone. Some people were just that way, although even they tended to avoid me after a while.

Yusuke was the second one to come up to me. He said he was leaving; he also mentioned the mall and someone named Keiko, but it was hard to tell with him muttering. He didn't sound happy; but then, he was talking to me, so I couldn't really blame him. No one was happy around me. Such as life.

I finished with the windows just in time for supper, which I found rather amazing. Genkai's shrine had quite a few windows, most of which had been rather filthy. It probably should have taken me at least an hour more, but it seemed that my demon body was good for something. It had better speed and endurance... when it wasn't going into withdrawal.

Supper was an informal affair, especially since Genkai claimed she couldn't cook. Tea was more her thing, so Yukina and I prepared the meal. Naturally, the red-eyed girl took charge, gently telling me what she needed done. I did whatever she asked; and, in no time at all, supper was ready.

Everyone was quiet while we ate, which I had no problem with. The only thing that bothered me was the fact that Yukina and Genkai let me eat beside them. No one had ever allowed me to do that. Both women confused me so much that I put them in the same category as Hiei--the category of people I couldn't understand and probably never would.

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CotA: Sorry, no review responses today. I'm a little busy. I'll get them all on the next chappie. Promise. 


	5. Chapter 5

After supper, Genkai led me to her dojo, the one I had found her in after my failure to go through the dark forest. She soon pointed at a punching bag hanging up in the corner. "Hit it," she ordered. 

I blinked. She wanted me to punch it? Oh boy. This was not going to be good. I was once again going to let her down and annoy her. It didn't take a genius to see I would be beat for that. "I don't know how," I admitted, preparing myself for the imminent hit.

The old woman sighed in exasperation. Yep. She was going to punch or kick me... maybe both. "Fine. Come here and watch me." She threw a punch at an imaginary object, her movements smooth and powerful. I really, really hoped she never punched me. It would hurt.

I embedded the process into my memory and then tried to throw a punch just like she had. I almost succeeded. Genkai had to correct a few things, but overall, she seemed impressed. Of course, I was probably imagining that. Worthless people were incapable of impressing anyone.

As soon as Genkai was sure I could successfully punch, she sent me over to the punching bag and had me beat away at it. Since she hadn't said for how long I was supposed to practice, I kept on throwing punches while she meditated. I continued to practice even when I felt my withdrawal symptoms returning in full strength.

I lost my vision first, and then my hearing went. Within moments, my legs began to shake, quickly giving out from underneath me. I collapsed to the floor into a rather painful heap, and I couldn't find the strength to move. Not too long after that, I felt someone help me sit up.

"Thank you," I whispered, unsure of what was going on. I had a good guess as to whom was helping me--Genkai. The hands on my shoulders felt too small to be Yukina's or even Hiei's. Plus, last time I had checked, Genkai had been the only one in the dojo with me. I hadn't even sensed Hiei watching me. It had certainly taken him long enough to realize I was worthless.

After a few moments, my hearing returned; however, the only thing I could hear was someone's soft breathing. I noticed a heartbeat a millisecond later, not that it did me much good. I already knew someone was there.

Slowly, my vision and strength returned, revealing that it was Genkai helping me sit up. In addition to that, I felt familiar eyes on me. Hiei was back, and even inside the dojo, watching me. He was really, really starting to confuse me. Every time I thought he had learned how worthless I was, he reappeared, going back to watching me. I desperately needed someone to explain him and his actions. Of course, Hiei was probably rather stubborn, which would explain quite a bit.

"Good. You're back to normal," Genkai commented as I stood up.

I looked down at her, ignoring the man for the time being. I would obviously have to deal with him later, but the old lady came first. I hadn't failed Hiei; I had failed her. "I'm sorry."

"For what? For pushing yourself as hard as you could? For not acting like a lazy bum?" she retorted in her normally stern voice. "You have no idea what I would give for a successor who actually put his entire heart and soul into something."

I didn't quite know what to say to that, so I remained silent. Silence was best when in dangerous territory, and since I hadn't quite figured out Genkai yet, I was definitely inside dangerous territory.

Genkai turned to face Hiei. "And I assume you just decided to come in here to check up on the newest member of your team, right?" It sounded like that wasn't what she really thought, like she was hinting at something. What she was hinting at, I couldn't tell.

"Hn. My reasons are none of your concern," he replied, tone dark. He was definitely a tough guy and without a doubt secretive. I couldn't help but wonder just how many secrets he had. He most likely had quite a few, especially since he wasn't all that talkative. It was usually the quiet people who kept the most inside them.

"Well, then you can stay here and keep an eye on her while she trains so I can prepare some tea to help with her withdrawal symptoms." Without another word, Genkai left, leaving a rather annoyed looking Hiei behind.

I blinked a few times and then returned to hitting the punching bag. It wasn't like I had anything else to do, and Genkai had left me with the subtle order to return to my training.

"You're not following through with your punches," Hiei suddenly stated, drawing my attention to him.

"Okay," I replied, trying to correct the error he had pointed out. When he didn't say anything else, it seemed I had succeeded. Amazing, but true. It felt kind of nice to actually do something right for once.

"Kick it," he ordered, grabbing my hand to stop my latest punch in its tracks. He was fast, incredibly fast, and his grip was firm. Still, I had the strangest feeling that he was severely holding back his strength.

I turned to look at him, my eyes meeting his red ones as he released my fist. "I don't know how," I informed him calmly, patiently waiting for the hit that would soon come. While everyone else had yet to punish me, Hiei seemed the most likely to do it. He probably understood that people had to be hurt whenever they did something wrong or didn't meet expectations.

Hiei shook his head. "Watch me." He slowly executed a normal side kick to the punching bag, every single one of his movements perfect and precise. "Now you try."

"Okay." I took a deep breath and focused my attention on the bag and my feet. Trying my hardest, I attempted to copy what he had done down to the very last motion. I failed and fell down.

"No. You moved your foot wrong," he informed me as I stood back up. "Try again."

I obeyed, and for some reason I didn't fall. My butt was thankful for that. Genkai had a rather hard dojo floor.

Hiei appeared thoughtful for a moment. "You hit the bag with the wrong part of your foot. Use the part right above your toes, not the middle. Only an idiot uses the middle of the foot."

"Okay." I felt strangely relaxed around Hiei. He treated me like an inferior person--something that I was used to. While Botan and the others had treated me like an equal, Hiei was giving me exactly what I deserved--absolutely no respect. Even though I couldn't really understand why he followed me around so much, I felt more comfortable around him. He would actually do things I normally expected out of people, so I could prepare for the future. He'd most likely continue to insult me and probably hit me whenever I happened to do something wrong.

I attempted the kick again, and I obviously failed. I could feel my ankle collide with the bag, which meant that he would not be happy. I was going to be punished, most likely in a painful way; however, when I patiently waited, nothing happened. Hiei didn't hit me or even make a move to punish me in any way.

"Try again," Hiei ordered, crossing his arms. He obviously wasn't going to hurt me, and I couldn't understand why. He insulted me, just like my mother did, so surely he would punish me like she did. It just didn't make sense. Why would he only make me try again?

Confused, I did what he asked, trying even harder to do the kick right. I almost succeeded, but I was a little off. The good news was I was somehow becoming a little better. The bad news was I was still failing. Of course, considering that I was worthless, it only made sense that I would continue to fail.

"You were closer that time. Keep practicing." Then, he disappeared.

I blinked in surprise. The man really was fast... far faster than I could have ever imagined. He was so fast that I hadn't seen him move at all.

Genkai suddenly entered the room, a teapot and a cup in her hands. Hiei had probably heard her coming and decided to leave. It seemed that he had better hearing than I did as well, which didn't surprise me in the least bit. I was so weak and useless that I would never be able to hear as well as him. It was obvious that I would never move as quickly.

"Take a break," she ordered, handing me the cup and teapot. "And I want you to finish off the entire thing of tea before you go to bed."

I stared at her, surprised and confused. Why was she trying to help me? Why had she prepared a special tea for me? More importantly, what did she mean by 'take a break'? I didn't understand her at all.

Genkai sighed, sounding exasperated. "Go do something to relax and drink all the tea," she explained. "Sit outside under a tree, meditate, whatever; then go to bed. I don't care how you choose to take your break, but you can't keep pushing yourself like you have been, not with the condition your body is in."

"Okay." I nodded my head in understanding. I could easily go outside, sit under a tree, and drink tea... even though I disliked the liquid. Why she was asking me to lounge around and do pretty much nothing, I didn't quite know. I had never really relaxed for any length of time. My normal schedule had consisted of waking up, going to school, going to work, cleaning the house, doing homework, and accepting my punishment from my mother before I went to bed at night. On the weekends I worked longer hours and received three times as much punishment.

Being careful not to drop anything, I went outside and chose a tree just out of sight of the dojo. I settled myself at the base and poured myself a cup of the tea. It smelled bitter, but I did my best to ignore that fact as I sipped it. The liquid was bitter as well, leaving a strange aftertaste on my tongue. I immediately had a strong wish for a glass of water.

Suddenly, something hit the ground near me as I sensed a familiar presence. Hiei was back, and he had possibly either knocked something to the ground or dropped it on purpose. I was voting on the latter, considering how precise his movements had been. I highly doubted Hiei ever did anything he hadn't planned on doing.

I carefully reached over and picked the object out of the grass. It was a bottle of water, strangely enough. I couldn't help but stare at the liquid for a few moments, surprised.

Had Hiei actually meant to drop this by me? If he had, then why? What was the point of giving me, a worthless person, water? Also, how had he known that I wanted water? Or had he merely had a lucky guess?

I mentally shook my head, banishing my thoughts. They were not doing me any good, and I had yet to thank the man for the bottle.

"Thank you, Hiei," I said politely, wondering if he would hit me for taking so long to say those words. My mother would have beat me and possibly even thrown me down the stairs.

When no response came, I opened the bottle and took a few swallows, treasuring the wonderful taste. Then, I went back to the tea, forcing myself to finish off the cup before I went back to the water. Although I hated the tea, I had to follow Genkai's order. Besides, I didn't like going through withdrawal symptoms, and if the tea was going to help, then I would drink it. The tea was still nasty though.

An hour and a half later, a little before the sun set, I finished off the bitter tea with Hiei's gaze still upon me. My body felt better, relaxed, as I stood up and began to take the teapot, bottle, and cup back inside. He didn't follow me, which surprised me a little. He would probably be back soon enough, no that I particularly cared either way. I had no right to tell Hiei what to do. After all, he could easily kill me.

I washed the dishes, filled the bottle back up with water, and then went to bed. I didn't see Genkai or Yukina, nor did I sense Hiei. I was curious as to where everyone was, but Genkai had told me to go to bed after I finished the tea, so that was what I did. I crawled under the covers, fell asleep, and dreamed my nightmarish dreams.

* * *

CotA: There you people go. There's the fifth chapter. ::grins:: This story is doing better than I expected. Cool. Well, since I don't have much time, I'll skip right to the reviews. 

Elen Liste Alda: Thanks! I will keep updating.

Yanou: I'll remember that. Sports Authority... grins Um... interesting dance. I've never heard of it. I'm out of school in... 1 day, and that's a final day. ::cheers:: And I'm glad you're finally all caught up. That means everything from here on out will be new to you. grins And good luck on that paper. That's so much longer than anything I've ever had to write. ::sighs:: That must really, really bite.

Colddarkness69: I don't think I can beat him to a pulp. I'm not that strong. And I'm an Ancient like the ones from Ronin Warriors. I don't know where Jurai is; I don't live here. In Tenchi Muyo, Princess Ayeka is from there.

Seiyo-san: Thanks for the cookies! ::munches on a cookie:: And, yes, the thingy in the pond was a kappa. Very good. I'm proud of you for recognizing that.

Paleah: Thank you. I'll try to update soon.

Kaimi Kitsune: Trust me, I still want Sess-chan. ::hugs Sess-chan:: He's an excellent muse. I just don't like him fighting with Zebez. And thanks for understanding about me not being able to give away the plot. And Mrya will get a little excitement... later. I have to go a little slow with this story since Myra is such an unusual character. And you'll eventually see what happens when she sings. It promises to be rather... interesting. ::grins::

White Fanged Wolf: Awww... that's too bad. I would **hate** to have my account deleted. Good luck at getting revenge.

BlackFireGoddess: Thanks! I never tire of hearing people say they love my story. And I've been trying to keep everyone in character. It is hard at times, especially with Hiei.

Raynin: I hope to become less busy soon, but that probably won't be until after school lets out. ::begins counting down the minutes::

Megani: Relax. I know what it's like to be super busy. Heck. I've been worried about all my homework for so long. Trust me, calculus is not easy. Neither is spanish four. As much as I love reviews, I don't force people to do something they don't have the time to do or don't want to do. ::Zebez and Sess-chan hide their swords and baseball bats behind their backs:: And I will try to keep up the good work. Really I will.


	6. Chapter 6

I woke up early in the morning, although I wasn't sure at exactly what time. The sun had already risen, and that was all I knew. Yawning, I climbed out of bed. Strangely enough, the first thing I noticed was the tangled mess my hair had become. Out of pure habit, I searched for a brush, and when I found one, I began to work on my long hair. The sad state of my blue and purple tresses almost made me wince, but not quite. To remove the tangles, I had to yank the brush roughly through my hair, causing myself a little pain. It seemed I was lucky enough to not have a tender head.

I slowly worked as many tangles out as I could, but my hair remained a mess. It seemed beyond hope. Obviously I had gone too long without brushing it.

After a little more than an hour passed, Yukina entered the room. Of course, I was still dealing with all the tangles. "Would you like some help?" she inquired in her kind voice.

Surprised at the offer, I stared at her before eventually nodding my head. She seemed to really want to help me, so who was I to tell her no? Although, why I needed to say yes, I didn't know. For some reason or another, I highly doubted that she would hit me if I went against her. There was just something about Yukina that made me feel comfortable and relaxed. Maybe it was her sweet attitude or perhaps her gentle personality, but I preferred being around her to most everyone else I had met in my life.

Yukina claimed the brush from me and tried her luck on all the tangles. She did no better than I had, so she gave up after a while... not that I could blame her. I wasn't worth her time, no matter how kind-hearted she was.

"This is such a mess we might have to cut it," she stated softly, dropping the brush onto the bed.

I turned to look at her. Cutting my hair sounded like the best way to deal with it... at least at the moment. "Okay."

Yukina blinked, eyes filled with surprise. "You want me to cut your hair?"

I nodded. "Yes, please."

"Alright. I'll be back in a moment with a pair of scissors." The red-eyed girl left the room, leaving me alone.

I patiently waited for her, occupying myself by smoothing out the kimono I was wearing and making the bed. It didn't take me long, and I felt a little better afterwards. At least I was making myself a little more useful than I usually was. Seeing as how I was worthless, I wasn't all that useful.

Yukina returned rather quickly, bringing a chair and a pair of scissors with her. She set the chair in the middle of the floor and gestured for me to approach. "Have a seat."

"Okay." I did as she asked, watching my hair flow across the floor. It was really too long.

"I'll try to cut off as little as possible," she informed me.

"Okay." I really wouldn't have cared even if she had said that she was going to chop off most of it. It would grow back overnight, after all; besides, I had no reason to make sure my hair looked nice. It wasn't like I was trying to impress anyone, which would have been hard anyway considering I didn't even know if my new body looked better with long or short hair. Also, even if she did cut it short, I would have no problem dealing with it, even though I preferred long hair over short.

I felt a slight tug and then heard a snip. A split second later, I saw a long lock of violet and blue-purple hair come to rest on the floor. A few minutes later, I could tell that she was cutting my hair so it would rest at about my waist, which was much longer than I was used to.

"Hmmm..." Yukina said thoughtfully after a while. "I think I'm done. Your hair looks even."

"Okay." I was willing to take her word for it. "Thank you."

"You should have no trouble getting the rest of the tangles out now. If you need to have your hair evened out afterwards, tell me." She held the brush out in front of me, a sweet smile on her face. She really was a unique individual. I had never met anyone like her.

"I will. Thank you." I claimed the brush from her and went back to work on my much shorter tresses. She had been right--the tangles did come out easier.

"When you're done, Genkai would like you to eat breakfast and then go see her," Yukina informed me. "Take as much time as you need though. I'll tell Genkai what's going on."

"Okay." I nodded my head in understanding, and then the sweet girl left. I went back to brushing out my hair, realizing that the ends of my hair were a blue-purple instead of the vibrant purple from before. I had actually somewhat expected my ends to stay the same color somehow. After all, my body was capable of equally strange things. My body changing my hair color didn't seem beyond its capabilities.

After a few minutes, I stopped brushing my hair, cleaned up the room, and went to the kitchen for breakfast. I ate quickly and then began to search for Genkai. I found her in the dojo, which didn't surprise me.

"I'm assuming you've eaten something," the old woman stated, looking up at me from her seated position. She really looked short when she was sitting down.

I nodded my head. "Yes, I have."

"Good. Now, this afternoon you're supposed to go shopping for clothes with Botan and possibly Keiko, depending on how stupid the dimwit acts." Genkai pointed at the broom. "But until then, I have chores for you to do. Once you get back from the mall, you get to start training the boys."

"Training the boys?" I didn't understand her at all, and contemplating her words only made my head ache. It seemed I would never figure her out.

"Yes. Botan told me you're a siren, so they have to become used to your voice." The old woman stood up, clasping her hands behind her back. The look she gave me said I was not to argue with her; I obeyed.

"Okay." I nodded my head, even though I saw no reason to train the boys. I never sang, so they'd never hear my voice. Besides, it wasn't like my singing would do me any good. I wanted to save people, not draw them to me like the sirens in mythology.

Genkai pointed toward a broom in the corner. "You should remember how to sweep the paths, so get to it."

"Yes, ma'am... Genkai." I winced and prepared to be hit for my slip-up. Nothing came. She didn't even move an inch.

Realizing that I wouldn't be punished, I grabbed the broom and went outside, my brain whirling from confusion.

* * *

I was still sweeping the many paths when I saw Yusuke, Botan, and three other people approach the shrine. One was a male with orange hair in a strange style that reminded me of the pictures of Elvis I had once seen in school. He was tall, probably almost seven feet, and he was dressed in blue pants and a blue button-down shirt--most likely his school uniform. For some reason, he struck me as an idiot with high morals... kind of like a knight in shining armor who couldn't pass his studies.

The other two were females. Both had brown hair and brown eyes, but one was shorter than the other. The shorter girl walked beside Yusuke, her shoulder-length hair bouncing as she walked. She was dressed in a short pink skirt and a white shirt with flower designs. The look in her eyes said she had a bubbly personality. I couldn't see her as a cheerleader; she looked far too intelligent to be one. A member of the student body seemed more her style.

The taller girl was wearing black pants, a white shirt, and a tan vest. Her hair roughly hit her shoulder blades, and she gave off a no-nonsense aura. I could easily see her kicking anyone's butt for doing something stupid. Something about her also made me feel that she was protective of her friends.

Yusuke grinned as he approached me. "Hey, Myra!" he called out, waving to me.

I stopped sweeping and simply watched the group, wondering who they were and why they had come. Of course, I didn't say a word, which seemed to unsettle both the tall man and the short brunette. The taller woman had no problem accepting my silence, which was nice. I felt a little more comfortable around her than the other newcomers.

"This is Myra?" the short girl asked, looking peeved. I suddenly had the feeling that she didn't like me at all. Go figure. At least I would be able to predict her actions, unlike everyone else. If she hated me, then she would hit me whenever she became angry.

"Geez, she sure looks funny," the carrot-top commented, giving me a strange look. His voice was rough and a little annoying, but it wasn't anything I couldn't deal with. "What's with the pink eyes and strange hair color?"

"Those are her natural colors," Botan answered, her smile just as bright as ever. She really, really needed to stop acting so cheery. That, or someone needed to take away her morning coffee.

The tall woman looked a little amused. "And here I was about to ask if you two went to the same hairdresser." She chuckled softly.

The ferrygirl frowned. "I do not dye my hair!" She didn't sound happy, but the others ignored her statement.

"While we're on the subject of hair... what's with the new haircut?" Yusuke inquired, interrupting Botan and pointing at my shortened locks. "What'd you do, get it caught in a lawnmower?"

"It was tangled, so Yukina cut it for me," I replied, making sure to keep my confusion off of my face. Where in the world had he gotten the idea that I had used a lawnmower to cut my hair? Did Genkai even own a lawnmower?

"She did a pretty bad job," the black-haired man said, and the carrot-top promptly hit him on the head. "Hey! What was that for, Kuwabara?!"

"Don't talk about Yukina that way," the tall man retorted, tone defensive. "I'm sure she did the best job she could."

"So, now, Yusuke... why do you want me to go with her to the mall?" The short girl frowned at me, and the look in her eyes sent warning messages through my brain. She was mad... incredibly mad. I just didn't know why.

"Because I think Botan might want a little help," he replied.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Humph. If you're so attached to her, you should go instead of me."

"What?!" Yusuke about fell down. "You think that I...?" He shook his head. "It's not what you think... really!"

"It isn't, huh?" The short brunette did not appear impressed.

"I think he's telling the truth," the tall woman stated.

Kuwabara nodded his head. "Yeah. Myra's gonna be part of the team, although I still don't think she should be. Men are not supposed to put women in danger."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Yusuke rolled his eyes before looking at me. "Myra, would you please come here and sit down right there?" He pointed at a spot on the grass beside him.

"Okay." Without another word, I did as he ordered, sitting down by his feet. Body tense, I gazed up at him, hoping I had followed his directions correctly. I didn't want to be punished for disobeying.

He patted me on the head, much like someone would a dog. "Good girl." He looked up at the others. "See, Kuwabara, she acts just like a human pet."

The tall woman whacked Yusuke, her expression one of annoyance. "No woman is a pet."

"That's right!" Botan declared. "How could you treat her like that?!"

"Poor girl," the shorter female added. "Everyone just walks all over you, don't they?"

I didn't reply, mainly because I didn't see a reason to. If I answered yes, Yusuke would hit me; however, if I answered no, the girl would probably hit me. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place, so the best thing to do was to not say a word.

"Hey, Urameshi, does she obey every order you give her?" Kuwabara asked, sounding curious as he bent down a little to look at me.

The taller woman immediately decked him as well, her actions smooth. I suddenly had the feeling that she hit Kuwabara rather often. "You shouldn't ask things like that, Kazuma."

"So, Yusuke, if you're not attached to her, then why did you spend so much time with her?" the short brunette inquired, still looking angry.

"Relax, princess," the taller woman responded. "I know the whole story, and I'll fill you in on the way to the mall."

The girl relaxed. "Alright. Let's get going."

"I have to stay here," I stated, not moving an inch from my spot by Yusuke's feet. I have never been allowed to go shopping with anyone. Mother had always wanted me to spend my time at home, doing work around the house. I wasn't worthy enough to go with the girls. I wasn't worthy enough for anything except pain, work, and death.

"Don't you want to go shopping with us?" Botan inquired, sounding surprised but still cheery. "I know Keiko hasn't been acting too happy about meeting you, but she really is nice, and Shizuru has been curious about you ever since she heard Yusuke mention you to Kuwabara.

From what the blue-haired girl had said, I assumed that Keiko was the short girl and Shizuru was the taller one. "I can't go," I replied, voice soft and meek. Once again, I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. I couldn't go to the mall, but I didn't want to be hurt for disobeying.

"Why? Genkai already said you can go." Yusuke frowned, obviously confused.

I bowed my head and didn't respond out of fear and self-preservation. I didn't move until I sensed familiar eyes watching me. Hiei was back and nearby.

"Yeah, c'mon. We'll have fun," Botan insisted, smiling from ear to ear.

I almost sighed at their insistence. Didn't they know I was worthless? I was a waste of oxygen and space, and not only that, I had the body of a whore (even though I, personally, had never done anything with a guy) and a druggie. Maybe the only thing I was fit for was sleeping with guys and shooting up. I didn't know for sure, but I was willing to bet on it. I was, what many people would call, a member of the scum of the earth. My mother had even called me that.

"Stop thinking like that," Hiei snapped at me as he came up to the group, sounding angry.

Surprised, I looked up at him, my face blank. Why was he angry? What had I done? What did my train of thought have to do with anything? And more importantly, how had he known?

"How could you possibly know what I was thinking?" I was a little curious as to why he had said that, but it was more of a rhetorical question designed to keep him from saying anything else, just in case he did happen to know what I had been thinking. Hey, for all I knew, he could somehow read my facial expressions. It would have been a miracle, but I couldn't dispel that option until I was sure it was untrue.

"I read your mind," he replied simply, nothing on his face or in his ruby eyes giving any hint toward that statement being a lie. Interesting. He was obviously an excellent liar.

"That's impossible," I said softly, turning away from him. I had accepted a lot of unbelievable things since dying, but mind-reading was just something I drew the line at.

"Actually, no it isn't. His jagan gives him that ability," Botan stated, drawing my attention to her.

I shook my head. "I can't believe you." I believed in the jagan eye, of course. It was supposed to be a third eye for the spirit, an eye in the center of someone's forehead. The idea of Hiei having a third eye made sense. After all, there were other legends about people with three eyes, so I didn't see why Hiei couldn't have an extra one, just like the stories. Also, there was that fact about him always wearing that headband, never taking it off, that just seemed a little unusual.

"Hiei can prove it. Just think of something no one else could possibly know, and Hiei will tell everyone what you were thinking of," the blue-haired girl responded. She really, really seemed to want me to believe her.

"Is that really a good idea?" Keiko asked, worry in her eyes.

"It's the only way to prove it to her," Shizuru answered, looking just fine. It probably took quite a bit to make her worried.

Mentally sighing, I nodded my head. Agreeing to the plan couldn't hurt, as there was no way he could read my mind. It just wasn't possible. Besides, if I refused to go along with it, I'd probably be hit and kicked.

Closing my eyes, I thought of the first time my mother had beat me. It had been the day my father had died, and I had been only five. I could remember her slamming the phone down and grabbing me. She had broken one of my arms and had poured bleach on me, supposedly as punishment for killing my dad. My mother had been so livid that night, so angry with me. From that day on, she had refused to show me any love. She had hated me. She still hated me.

With this memory and the connecting thoughts swimming through my mind, I opened my eyes and looked at Hiei. "Well?" I inquired emotionlessly. "What am I thinking of?"

The red-eyed demon shook his head, a strange look on his face. It was barely noticeable but still there. The look almost made me worry... almost. "No. I won't tell them that." Then, without saying another word, he walked off.

I blinked a few times, unsure if I had heard him correctly. Honestly, I had been expecting him to make something up, to at least make it look like he had tried. Now, the question was why in the world hadn't he told them what I had been thinking? Of course, that was assuming he could actually read my mind.

"What were you thinking about?" Botan wanted to know, looking rather confused. She didn't seem to know any more about Hiei's departure than I did.

"Just about what happened the day my father died," I replied neutrally, as if it had been just another day. Truthfully, it had just been another day for me. It had been the first in a long line of incredibly similar days.

"Oh, okay." Botan sounded baffled, and Yusuke just kept his mouth shut, which was probably a smart thing.

"That's so sad," Keiko commented softly, more for herself than anyone.

Everyone left the subject alone after that statement. That was the strange thing about most people, once they believed they had touched on a sensitive subject, they tried to retreat. Perhaps it was because they didn't want to hurt others, or perhaps it was because the subject was embarrassing to them. I didn't know, and I certainly couldn't understand why they avoided subjects like death. Death and pain were normal parts of life, especially mine.

* * *

CotA: Okay, another chappie is finally done. I'm not exactly sure when I'll get the next chappie out, but it might be a while. ::shrugs::

Zebez: While she doesn't have a writer's block, she has been a little lazy recently.

CotA: Oh, hush, Zebez.

Zebez: I'll hush if you give me a kiss.

Sess-chan: ::punches Zebez:: You will shut up whether she gives you a kiss or not. You are annoying.

Kali: _'Stupid boys.' _

CotA: Yeah. ::pauses:: Oh! I almost forgot. I watched one of the Yu Yu Hakusho movies a few days ago, and it royally stunk. First of all, the dubbing was awful. Second, most of the voices didn't fit the characters, especially Kuwabara's voice. Third, they called Kuwabara Kuwahara instead. Fourth, there was absolutely NO Kuwabara bashing. Fifth, the characters weren't drawn and colored exactly right. Sixth, they screwed up Hiei's personality; and finally, they made it seem like Yusuke cared more about Botan than Keiko. I really can't say anything good about it. Well, the storyline wasn't too bad, and the battle scenes were pretty good. The artwork was decently done... in most scenes. And, of course, there was the wonderful Kurama bath scene.

Sess-chan: Before the silly girl decides to go on and on about the fox demon, here are the review responses.

White Fanged Wolf: Geez. Belladonna-poisoned chardonay sounds a little extreme, but if it works for you, go for it. And don't worry. I'll continue to update. Promise.

Paleah: I will try to update soon. Promise.

Seiyo-san: Geez. I don't like tea, and I rarely ever drink it. I love mythology of all kinds... except for Chinese. They kinda stink at myths and such.

Megami: Cool. I'm out of school now too. It's awesome. ::grins:: And her name is Myra. I don't use it all that often since it is in first person. I believe I stated that in the first chappie, and I might have it a few more times throughout the story. I'm not sure though. I have so many stories going at once that it's hard to keep track.

Yanou: ::joins Yanou-chan in her dance, rejoicing the finishing of the huge paper:: Great job. My last paper was a while back. I hated writing it though. Twelve freaken' pages--so not fun.


	7. Chapter 7

Not too long after the whole mind-reading incident, I agreed to go with Keiko, Botan, and Shizuru to the mall. Yukina stayed behind along with the boys, mainly because she had never been shopping. We walked part of the way and took the bus for the final leg of the journey. It wasn't all that bad, even though the bus was crowded and people kept staring at me. I never had been a fan of large groups of people in a small space, but I could deal with it. Shizuru and Botan talked to Keiko, explaining how I came to know Yusuke to her. Botan even included how I died.

Even though the girls were having fun and ignore me for the most part, I was tense during the entire trip. Of course, when the girls and I finally got off the bus, I felt more relaxed. I liked having space between me and other people. It made them less likely to hit me. Also, there was the fact that I could sense Hiei watching me again. A strange as him following me everywhere was, I had become adjusted to it. Besides, he was the most predictable of all the people I had met since I had died.

The blue-haired girl was the first one to enter the mall, the others following her and me bringing up the rear. The mall was huge, with three stories of stores, many of which I had never heard of before. Keiko and Botan led the way while I simply followed, amazed at everything. Hiei still followed me, keeping at such a distance that I couldn't see him whenever I glanced over my shoulder.

I mentally shrugged. He was a secretive person and thus didn't want to be seen. Go figure.

As I followed the girls around, I glanced at the window displays. The ones I liked the best were the darker stores, like Hot Topic. All the clothes were black, red, and other such colors. Those I would be able to hide easily in.

Someone suddenly grabbed my hand, jolting my attention away from the darkly dressed man following me. I looked up to see Botan, her bright smile big enough to light up even the darkest room. The smile scared me. She had some kind of plan, and it dealt with me.

"C'mon! Let's see if anything fits you in this store." Still grinning from ear to ear, the ferry girl dragged me into a store full of brightly colored clothes--mostly pink and baby blue. I couldn't see a single thing that I liked at all, but I had to bear it. I would do whatever the girls asked; I was at their mercy.

"Hey, Botan. What do you think about this?" Keiko asked, holding up a shirt. It was a glaring magenta color, and the style was what someone would call "cute." A dark magenta ribbon went around the neckline, the bottom hem, and a little around the center, which would probably be right below someone's bust. I could never see myself wearing it; it would make me stand out too much in a crowd.

"Now if that isn't a cheerleader shirt, I don't know what is," Shizuru stated, sounding unimpressed.

"That is absolutely adorable!" Botan squealed in obvious delight, taking the shirt from Keiko and holding it up in front of me. She bit the inside of her cheek, probably debating whether she liked it on me or not. "I think you need to try it on," she told me.

I nodded, accepting the pink shirt from her and going back to the dressing room. I pulled on the shirt, looked at myself in the mirror. Bright pink eyes that matched the shirt stared back at me from a heart-shaped face... eyes that should have been expressive, but they were blank for me. Two thin locks of hair fell across my face down to my collarbone, which was much shorter than the rest of my hair was. My nose was small and straight, and my lips were naturally tinted a dark pink. My ears were small, almost perfectly hidden under the hair. The face would have been enchanting if it hadn't been mine.

I mentally sighed and then took the shirt off, pulling back on the kimono. The shirt had unfortunately fit, which meant that Botan would most likely buy it for me.

With a mental sigh, I went back to the girls, standing by them and watching them sift through rows and rows of shirts, pants, and skirts. So much pink and bright blue. Too little black and other dark colors. Dark colors were easier to hide in; they made a person less noticeable.

"How about this?" Botan held up a fancy, frilly, lacy, bright orange dress. It definitely looked like something she would wear.

Keiko nodded. "That's great." She looked over at me, smiling, her brown eyes sparkling. Somehow, she had forgotten her anger. "Did the shirt fit, Myra?"

"Yes, ma'am." I nodded my head.

She sweatdropped. "You can call me by my name, ya know?"

"Okay," I replied with another nod of my head.

Shizuru rolled her eyes. "Remember, she doesn't talk much." She placed some black clothes in my arms, taking the pink shirt from me and hanging it back up. "Go see if these fit. I think they're more your style."

I blinked. "Alright." I went back to the dressing room (which was nothing but a small cubicle with a door in the corner) and pulled on a pair of flared black hip-hugger pants and a black Chinese style shirt that had a black, see-through lace back. The sleeves came to my elbow and were completely lace as well. I looped all the strings over the buttons, staring at myself in the mirror afterwards. The shirt fit a little tightly, but the pants were too big. They barely stayed on my hips, which was saying something.

A light banging sound suddenly came from the door. "Yo, Myra, come on out," Shizuru called out. "I want to see how you look."

Nervously licking my lips, I opened the door and stepped out where the girl could see me. All three were there, and they instantly began critiquing the outfit.

"I like how the pants look," Keiko began, pointing at the black pants I had on. "But they're way too big."

"The shirt looks great on her, but another color would be better," Botan added. "It doesn't match her hair or eyes."

Shizuru shook her head. "No. Let her keep the black one. I think it suits her perfectly."

"Thank you," I whispered softly. I couldn't help but appreciate having the tall brunette present for the shopping expedition. Somehow, she had figured out what type of clothes I preferred without even asking me... not that I would have answered. Although, she could have easily just decided that black would be best and handed me the clothes. Either way, I liked her choices better.

"We're not going to buy her all black clothes," Botan stated, looking a little disappointed. I had a feeling she only wore bright, cheerful colors.

"Of course, we aren't," Keiko agreed. "What kind of girl wears all black?" She was a preppy girl, who probably adored "cute" clothes. I'm sure that was great for her, but her style just didn't suit me.

Of course, if she insisted on something, I wouldn't argue. I didn't want to get hit. Mother had never abused me in public, but that didn't mean the girls wouldn't.

"We don't need to get her all black, but there's no point in buying something she's not going to wear," Shizuru replied reasonably. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you found some things for her to wear that weren't so bright. Sorry, sweetheart, but I wouldn't wear that pink shirt or that orange dress--far too bright for me."

"Well, what kind of colors should we look for then?" Botan asked, looking around the store. "It's not like she's going to tell us."

"Black, maroon, red, dark purple, navy blue," the tall woman answered with a shrug. "Those are the colors she looked at the most when we were walking down the hall."

"Oh." Keiko glanced at me and then at the store. "We should probably go somewhere else then. They don't have too many dark things here."

The ferry girl did not look too happy at that statement. "And where are we going to go? Hot Topic?" She made a face when she mentioned the store's name.

Shizuru nodded. "Yes. That'd be a good place to start." She smiled at me. "Princess, if you want to go somewhere, then tell us. We're not Hiei. We can't read minds."

I blinked, hiding my shock. She was being so nice to me... they all were, actually. I couldn't quite understand it. Everyone was so strange.

"Promise me you'll tell us if you want to go into a store," the tall woman ordered. She had already figured out how to make me obey.

Of course, I nodded my head. I couldn't disobey a direct order. "Yes, ma'am. I will."

"Alright then." Shizuru linked her fingers behind her head. "I think we're good to go now."

Botan sighed. "Once we figure out what size of pants you wear, we'll buy them and the shirt and then go to-" She cringed. "Hot Topic."

I started to go back into the dressing room when I froze. I had to money to pay for the items. "I can't buy anything," I stated.

"Huh?" Keiko frowned at me. "Don't tell me we came all the way out here for nothing?"

"I have no money," I clarified. I didn't want the short brunette angry at me again.

Botan laughed. "Pfft. No problem. Koenma's paying." She waved off my response and gave me a light shove into the dressing room. "Now get in there."

I obeyed, and soon I had three pairs of pants sitting on my head. I tried them all on, figured out which one fit the best, put on my normal clothes, and came back out. Botan took the Chinese shirt and the pants that fit me and then went up to the register, whipping out a credit card. A guide for the dead had a credit card... how strange. I had never thought she would have something like that. Of course, with her bright and cheery personality, shopping would be her thing.

Keiko, Shizuru, and I went outside while Botan paid, trying to keep out of the way of all the shoppers.

"So, Myra, why don't you talk all that much?" Keiko inquired, tone curious.

I looked over at her, wary on the inside even though I kept all emotion from showing on my face. "I just don't." My mother had always asked such strange questions, and any time I had answered in a way she hadn't like, she had hit me... hard.

One time, she had become so angry that she took a knife to me, stabbing me in the lower stomach. It had taken her three days to finally decide to drive me to the hospital, and that had been after a horrible infection and fever had set in. My mother had to explain away my wound as an accident, although I don't think the doctors had believed her. Of course, I had backed up her story, wanting to avoid any kind of abuse. Then, after the doctors had examined me thoroughly, they had announced that I would survive but that I would never had any children. My womb had been completely destroyed when I had been stabbed.

"That's too bad," Keiko stated. "You have a pretty voice. Do you sing?"

I shook my head. "No."

"I think you probably should." She smiled. "I sing sometimes... although every time Yusuke hears me he says I sound like a crow." She made a fist. "The jerk!"

"Calm down, sweet heart. You can't beat him up now, so save your anger for when we get back," Shizuru advised.

Keiko huffed, crossing her arms. "Don't worry. I will."

I instantly came to the conclusion that she liked Yusuke. If she didn't, then she wouldn't care about his opinions so much and she wouldn't want to beat him up.

Botan came out of the store at that moment, a back in one hand. "Alright. Let's go."

The other girls nodded, beginning to walk off. I followed, looking over my shoulder to see if I could spot Hiei. I never could, but I didn't stop trying.

"Why do you keep looking behind you?" Shizuru inquired curiously. "What's back there?"

"Hiei," I answered simply, still following the girls.

Botan raised an eyebrow. "Hiei?" she repeated. "Are you sure?"

"I could be wrong." I was almost always wrong, but it felt so much like Hiei following me.

Keiko shrugged. "I don't think the mall is Hiei's thing, so maybe you're just imagining it."

"Okay." I nodded my head, easily accepting her logic. If anyone ever contradicted me, I was automatically wrong.

"I don't know..." Shizuru drifted off, eyes darting around, almost as if she could sense him too. Eventually, she shrugged it off. "If he is, big deal."

That conversation ended, but another one began anew between Keiko and Botan. They talked animatedly about something they had seen in one of the shop windows, claiming it was adorable. Shizuru put in a comment now and then, and I kept quiet. I had nothing to add to the conversation.

Soon, though, we were outside Hot Topic. Shizuru and Keiko walked right in, with me on their heels, but Botan froze.

"I... think I'll just wait outside," the ferry girl stammered, swiftly turning around and beginning to walk off at a brisk pace.

Shizuru grabbed the back collar of her shirt and dragged her into the store. "You're the one with the credit card and this shopping trip was your idea, so you need to suck it up and come inside."

"It's really not that bad," Keiko insisted politely, a small smile on her face.

As for me, I just stood off to the side and watched everything, making sure to stay out of the way. I did find it interesting that Shizuru had a habit of taking charge and acting logical. She made perfect sense to me, although I wasn't quite sure why. None of the others had.

I mentally shrugged and gazed around at all the clothing in the store. There was so much black and red, which was definitely more to my taste than all the pink.

"Take a look around," Shizuru advised, patting me on the shoulder. "Find some things you like and try them on."

I nodded my head. "Yes, ma'am." I wandered around the store, picking out some shirts and a few different styles of black pants. I tried them all on, and I ended up getting seven shirts, five of which were completely black, and three pairs of pants.

We went to a few more stores at which I acquired in all ten more shirts, a dress, a two pairs of shoes, a long skirt, and two pairs of black jean shorts. All that took up five bags, which meant that everyone was carrying at least one bag. I had two, one of which was from Hot Topic and the other was from Deb.

As we walked through the mall, Shizuru pointed at a different type of store. "We need to go in there. I finally realized what else we need to get Myra."

I mentally shrugged. Although I really just wanted to sit down and relax for a bit, I figured it would be best to go along with what the tall brunette said.

"Of course. I can't believe I forgot she needed some stuff like that," Botan agreed. Soon, I was inside the store, which I quickly realized was a lingerie/undergarments store... a fancy one. I paused briefly at the entrance, but at the coaxing of the girls, I went the rest of the way inside.

As Keiko, Botan, and Shizuru searched the racks, I stood off to the side, glancing about the room. I could still sense Hiei watching me, which meant he had to be inside the room. I couldn't quite figure out where he was though.

"Myra! Here. I think these should fit," Keiko stated, catching my attention.

The three girls put a few bra and underwear sets in my hands and began pushing me towards the door to the dressing rooms. I went inside, still feeling Hiei's eyes upon me. He had come into the dressing room area as well.

"Now, try on one thing at a time, and if it fits, come on out and show us. We want to make sure you get something nice so you can impress a guy... maybe Hiei," Shizuru teased.

I nodded my head and did what she said, going into one of the stalls and pulling on a black lace bra and panty set. Both were too small, so I went to a size bigger. Most of the items they had found for me to try on were too small, but I finally put on one that actually fit. The set was black silk with black lace straps for the bra as well as push up support... at least, that was what the tag said.

As ordered, I came out of the stall, feeling rather uncomfortable, although I hid it as well as I could.

"How does it fit?" Botan asked.

"Fine," I answered simply.

"Do you like it?" Keiko wanted to know. "It certainly looks good enough on you, although a different style might be better."

"It's fine," I told her.

Shizuru nodded. "Okay. What size is it?"

"34 D," I answered immediately. It wasn't hard to remember what the tag said.

Botan whistled in amazement. "You certainly have an hourglass figure," she commented. "Well, get back on in there, give us the stuff that don't fit and we'll find you some more things to try on. I know that most of the things were handed you couldn't've fit. Quite a few were C size."

"Yes, ma'am." I did as she asked and then tried on whatever they gave me. They kept on making me come out of the stall to show them how everything looked. After half an hour, Botan finally decided that we were ready to check out. She paid for the fifteen sets as well as a few rather revealing nightclothes for me to wear.

We exited the lingerie store, laden down with a few more bags. Keiko led the way, stopping in front of an ice-cream store. At least, I assumed it was an ice-cream store. It seemed likely, especially considering there was a giant inflated ice-cream cone out front.

"Ooooh! Let's get some ice-cream!" the shot brunette declared, brown eyes sparkling. "I haven't had any in ages."

"Sounds fine to me," Shizuru replied, so we all went inside. Botan ordered a strawberry cone and Shizuru ordered a vanilla one. Botan even bought a cone for me--death by chocolate.

Keiko was the last to order, and for some reason, her cheeks were a little pinker than usual. I watched the short brunette interact with the male cashier, her bright smile growing wider ever second.

"He's so cute!" Botan whispered in my ear, giggling. "And I think he likes Keiko."

I cocked my head slightly to one side, my eyes on the guy. He had short blond hair that barely brushed the tips of his ears. Bright blue eyes twinkled with joy and interest as he talked to Keiko. He had a friendly smile that revealed two rows of brilliant white teeth, which probably meant that he brushed at least three times a day. That, or he had his dentist paint his teeth.

Keiko talked to the guy for about fifteen more minutes before she finally came to the table with her ice-chocolate cream cone, stars in her eyes. "Ryotsu is hot and so nice..." she said dreamily. "I gave him my phone number. I hope calls me."

"Someone likes the cashier," Shizuru stated, leaning back in her chair. "That, or she's taken in by his good looks and silver tongue." She finished off her cone, tossing her napkin into the trash can.

"He's just nice... which is a great change from the others guys I know," she replied simply, licking her ice-cream.

Botan grinned. "He's certainly cuter than Yusuke, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he sure is," Shizuru agreed. "The only question is, is he available?"

Keiko nodded. "I think so. He asked for my phone number."

"Well now, did you get his?" Botan inquired. She had finished off her ice-cream cone a few minutes ago, as had I.

"No, but he promised to call me," Keiko replied.

The girls continued to talk about the guy cashier, even though he was just five feet away. After about ten minutes, Keiko finally finished off her cone, and we left the store.

We walked around for a little bit longer, and something eventually caught my eye. I paused at the window of a pet shop, my eyes watching a girl inside the store hold a small white puppy. It was adorable, and I couldn't help but want to hold it.

"Kawaii!" Botan declared as she came up beside me, her amethyst eyes sparkling. "We HAVE to go inside." She promptly grabbed my hand and dragged me inside. Keiko and Shizuru followed, giggling.

Once inside the store, I found a whole litter of kittens in a large, glass cage. Most of the kittens were in a large group, all cuddled together, but one black kitten was off to the side, curled up in a ball. It was all black except for one small, white star burst on its forehead.

A store clerk suddenly came up beside me, smiling. "Would you like to hold one of them?" she asked, gesturing toward the kittens.

I nodded and pointed at the black kitten. She got the small cat out for me and put in it my hands. The kitten was so small it fit into the palm of my hand even when it was laying down. It was a runt but still so adorable. I scratched its ears, earning a loud purr from it. Then, the kitten was rubbing its head against my hand, purring even louder.

"If you're interested in buying him, take him up to the cash register. The lady up there will know the price," the store clerk stated.

I nodded my head. "Okay," I replied, and then the store worker went off to help another person with a bird.

Botan came up to me and smiled. "So you like him, huh? He's so cute!" she practically squealed. "And look at that white star burst; it reminds me of Hiei."

"You got a point there, Botan," Shizuru agreed. "And he's got red eyes, too." She scratched the kitten under the chin, which the creature responded to my purring even more.

"Awww!" Keiko exclaimed as she came up to me as well and began to pet the kitten. "He's so cute."

The ferry girl grinned. "I'm going to get him for Myra."

"Good idea. He'll be great company for her," Keiko said, nodding her head. "After all, he'll give her someone to play with while she's at Genkai's place."

"Come on, Myra; let's go buy the little guy," Botan stated, beginning to walk toward the cash register. I followed, the tiny kitten in my hands.

The female cashier looked down at the feline in my hands and frowned slightly. "Are you sure you wouldn't want one of the other kittens? This one's a runt, and he'll probably never grow much."

"Myra, would you like a different one?" Botan asked me.

I thought about it for a few minutes, looking down into the kitten's adorable face, his red eyes staring into mine. I finally shook my head. "Can I keep him? Please?" I prayed that Botan wouldn't become angry, and thankfully she didn't. She merely shrugged and paid for the kitten.

Once that was done, Shizuru convinced Keiko to leave a small brown Labrador puppy behind.

The cashier put the kitten in a pet carrier and handed it to me. "This is so you can take him out of the store."

"Thank you," I replied, bowing slightly.

Then, we left the store. Almost instantly, Keiko and Botan wanted to know what I was going to name it. Shizuru just smiled and listened in on the conversation.

I didn't know what to name the feline. I had never really named anything before, so I didn't have a single idea. "I'm... not sure what to call him."

"He looks so much like Hiei," Shizuru commented, looking down at the kitten who was sticking the tip of his nose out of the carrier through one of the ventilation holes. "Red eyes, all black, the white star burst." She shrugged. "It's amazing, actually."

"You should name him Hiei!" Keiko declared. "It'd be perfect, and I think it'd suit him so well."

"Well, for looks at least. His attitude is completely different. I wish Hiei acted like this kitten," Botan added.

I thought about it for a few moments. "Alright. It'll be Hiei."

Botan blinked. "Are you sure? I'm not sure if Hiei would approve, but... it is your cat so... go for it!" She laughed. "If anything, it'd do the real Hiei some good... don't you think, little Hiei?" She leaned down slightly to touch the tiny pink nose sticking out of the carrier.

Keiko laughed. "Maybe, but at least the name fits him." She looked around and yawned. "Well, I'm getting tired, so why don't we call it a day?"

"Yeah, sounds good," Shizuru agreed, rearranging her hold on the bags she had a hold of.

"Alright. To the bus stop!" Botan declared, beginning to stroll off, four bags in her hands.

Shizuru, Keiko, and I followed her down a few hallways and into a department store... an expensive looking department store. Many of the nearby glass cases held jewelry, most of which was 14 carat gold or almost pure silver. Gems sparkled in the bright artificial lighting, easily showing up against the black velvet interior of the case. Stands held fancy, expensive clothes, many of which were silk. I looked around at everything surrounding me, and then glanced over my shoulder. Hiei was still following me; he hadn't left me since I had entered the mall.

As I was walking through the perfume section of the store, some sales lady, who had on the brightest smile I had ever seen, jumped in front of me and gently grabbed my free hand.

"You simply must try this new fragrance. It's called 'Simply Divine', and I'm sure it'll be perfect for you," she declared, spraying a light blue substance from a bottle onto my wrist.

I blinked, unsure about what to do. The lady was definitely strange; I had never met anyone quite like her. Well, she did remind me a little of Botan, but not even the ferry girl was so unusual.

So, without saying a word, I backed away from the woman and carefully jogged to catch up to the other girls, trying not to jostle the kitten too much. Behind me, I heard a shout and cursing as the lady began a new cheerful sales pitch, which was probably aimed at a guy. I even heard the soft crash of a clothing stand falling down. She had certainly surprised someone.

Mentally shaking my head, I went back to following the girls, and soon I was on the bus heading for Genkai's shrine.

* * *

CotA: Hey people. Sorry I haven't updated in so long, but surely this chappie made up for it, right? It's about 4,600 words. It took a while to write, so I do apologize again. Oh, and warning, it hasn't been proofread by anyone but me yet. I'll hopefully see my beta reader soon, so she can correct it.

Zebez: You really should've split this into two chapters.

CotA: Nah. The only reason I didn't update in so long was because the chappie was so long. ::shrugs:: Such as life.

Sess-chan: Ignore the worthless hanyou. He knows not what he speaks of.

CotA: Wait a minute... why are you two giving me advice on this anyway? This is the story Kali is helping me on.

Kali: _'Which is why the chapter is so long. I wanted to prove that I am better than the both of you put together.'_

Zebez and Sess-chan: ::growl::

CotA: ::laughs nervously:: Well, um, before a fight breaks out, I'll skip down to the reviews.

Paleah: Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed the chappie.

Katsuko: Thank you! I'm working hard on it.

BlackFireGoddess: I know that Myra's mentality is a little strange, but I have done some research. I read A Child Called It and the sequels to it, so I have a rough idea of what abused children think. While Dave had so much fire in him, which helped him survive, Myra didn't have near as much.

Jiko Hitasura: Angsty? I didn't know that. ::shrugs:: I guess stranger things have happened. I tend to more of a romance writer.

Kaimi Kitsune: I don't know what Hiei thinks. He's clueless. I'm clueless. The reader's are clueless. Everyone's clueless, so we're even. And of course Myra is confusing. She's had a rather bad past, so she's developed a different mentality to survive.

Crazy-lil-nae-nae: Thank you. ::smiles:: I will try my best.

White Fanged Wolf: I understand. I'm extreme at times, but you usually have to get me REALLY angry before I reach that stage. And I don't want you to be sad.

Yanou: Aw... you poor baby. I would hate to have a stomach ache. And I love drawing! It's so much fun! Right now, I'm working on a full length drawing of Kurama, holding a rose, looking in a mirror, with Youko as his reflection inside the mirror. It'll be cool... once I finish it. And graduations can never come quickly enough.

Seiyo-San: Yeah, I liked seeing Kuronue. He was pretty cool. And I think I read Silver Fox as well as reviewed.


	8. Chapter 8

I calmly sat next to Shizuru on the bus, letting her have the window seat. With the bags at my feet and the pet carrier in my lap, it was probably best for me to sit by the aisle; I needed the extra room.  
  
Hearing a soft meow, I poked one of my fingers through the metal grill on the front of the pet carrier, scratching Hiei under his chin. I earned a loud purr for my efforts. It almost sounded as if he was saying his thanks.  
  
"You're welcome, Hiei," I said softly, my eyes watching his small red orbs. He did remind me of the real Hiei quite a bit. Of course, that made me remember how Hiei had followed me around the mall.  
  
Why had he done such a thing? Did he follow me to keep me out of trouble? Perhaps someone had ordered him to follow me. Yes, that did make sense; although, Hiei wasn't exactly the type to follow orders he didn't want to follow.  
  
"Violet?" a man called loudly, breaking me out of my thoughts.  
  
I blinked, watching Hiei nuzzle my finger and then lick it with his small pink tongue.  
  
"Violet!" Someone grabbed my forearm and gave a sharp tug, forcing me to turn. I saw a middle-aged man, probably in his late thirties, with greased- back blond hair and gray-green eyes. He was dressed in a navy blue business suit, which suited his tan skin. He also had a golden chain around his neck and a gold stud earring in his left ear.  
  
A little confused, I merely looked at him. I didn't know what to do, and I certainly didn't know who Violet was.  
  
"Violet, where have you been? You've missed meetings with five different customers!" he hissed, tone laced with pure fury. "I've had to do a lot of explaining for you."  
  
"I'm not Violet," I replied softly, although I finally understood what was going on. The previous owner of the body had been named Violet, and the man had been her pimp. Unfortunately for me, he had found me in the whore's body. Things were not going to turn out pretty.  
  
He promptly smacked me. "Don't play dumb with me!" he shouted, obviously forgetting the fact that he was on a bus. Of course, most of the people ignored what was going on, including the bus driver. "I would recognize you anywhere! Do you honestly think that I wouldn't know it was you just because you cut your stupid hair?!"  
  
"I'm not Violet," I repeated calmly.  
  
His face turned red in anger. "Like Hell yo-"  
  
"Shut up." Shizuru stood up and punched the man in the face. "She said she isn't Violet, and I can vouch for her."  
  
"I can, too!" Botan added, tone cheery. "And I know that she doesn't know you."  
  
"Her name's Myra, so why don't you leave her alone?" Keiko suggested.  
  
I stared at each of the girls, surprised at their actions. No one had ever stuck up for me before. It was strange, seeing them defend me as if I were actually one of their friends.  
  
With three different girls glaring at him, the pimp returned to his seat at the back of the bus, trying to stop his nose bleed with a handkerchief.  
  
"Thank you," I told them, voice soft.  
  
"You're welcome," Keiko and Botan replied.  
  
Shizuru nodded. "Just try to be a little more aggressive next time someone does something like that to you. You can't just let people do stuff like that. If they can get away with it once, they're sure to do it again."  
  
I nervously licked my lips. There wasn't any way I could do what she said, but it wasn't like I could disobey a direct order. "Yes ma'am."  
  
The tall brunette sighed. "You really need to lighten up," she recommended, picking up some bags as the bus came to a halt.  
  
"This is our stop!" Botan announced, still smiling. "Let's go."  
  
We all clambered off the bus, hauling the spoils from the shopping trip with us, and began walking toward our destination.

* * *

When we arrived back at Genkai's shrine, the first person I saw was a redhead dressed in a pinkish-purple outfit that had a yellow strip colored down the center of the long-sleeved shirt. He had brilliant green eyes that reminded me of the most perfect emeralds, and his red hair hung to about the middle of his upper back, looking almost perfect. He struck me as what many people would call a "pretty boy," someone who was almost more beautiful than handsome. He probably had girls hanging all over him wherever he went, despite the fact that the clothes he had on did not really look good on him.  
  
The pinkish-purple just wasn't his color, but considering the style, I figured it was probably his school uniform. Schools tended to stick with one basic style when it came to uniforms, no matter what type of school it was.  
  
The redhead smiled as the girls and I approached. "It seems that you bought out a few stores when you went shopping," he commented, his alto voice light and friendly. "Would you like help?" he asked Botan, who had about four bags.  
  
"Thanks, Kurama, but I'm fine. Why don't you help Myra? She's got that pet carrier and two bags." Botan jerked her head over in my direction.  
  
Kurama nodded, reaching out to take everything from me. Hiei instantly hissed when he approached, trying to take a swipe at him through the wire door on the pet carrier. "Hmmm... Perhaps I'll take just the bags," he stated, relieving me of the clothes, so I only had to carry the kitten.  
  
"Thank you," I said softly. He seemed so nice, like almost everyone else I had met recently, but I could sense something strange about him. I couldn't put my finger on it, but he seemed different in a way. Since I didn't have a clue, I mentally shrugged.  
  
"You're welcome," he replied politely as we all headed inside and set my new things inside my room.  
  
When we entered my room, I noticed something different. There was a dresser sitting along one way, and a quick investigation revealed that it was empty. Kurama set the two bags he had by the dresser and then smiled. "I'll leave you four to deal with things as you see fit," he said, leaving the girls and I alone.  
  
"It looks like you have a place to put your clothes now," Botan commented cheerfully. "Do you want help putting them away?"  
  
"You don't have to do everything yourself," Keiko added with a smile as I released Hiei from the pet carrier. The tiny kitten began sniffing around the room, inspecting under the bed first.  
  
"Myra can put everything away later," Genkai stated as she entered the room. "Right now she has to train the boys."  
  
"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot about that." Botan laughed softly, sounding embarrassed.  
  
Shizuru shooed me off. "You go play with the boys. We'll put away your clothes so you don't have to deal with them. Having you put up with my brother and then with the clothes would be cruel."  
  
I blinked, not really sure what to do. In the end, I decided to accept their kindness. "Thank you." I looked over at the kitten. "Come here, Hiei," I called, kneeling down. I didn't know why, but I wanted to keep him with me. There was just something about the cute little guy.  
  
The tiny feline quietly padded up to me, jumping into my arms and purring. He rubbed his head against one of my hands as I stood and followed Genkai out of the room. I petted Hiei as I walked down the hall, my feet making almost no noise on the wooden floors.  
  
"I see Botan bought you something other than clothes," the old woman commented, glancing at the creature in my arms. "And if it makes any messes in my shrine, I know that I won't be seeing it again." She gave me a look, which I easily understood. If the kitten did go outside to do his business, she would get rid of him.  
  
"Yes, Genkai." I nodded obediently.  
  
"Good." She led me outside. "Have a seat." She pointed at a set of stairs, and I obeyed, still holding the feline. "Now, sing."  
  
I blinked. "Sing?" I repeated, knowing that some of my confusion had to show in my eyes. "I don't sing. I can't sing."  
  
Genkai frowned and crossed her arms. "You're half siren. You can and you will sing," she insisted. "All the boys need to learn how to resist the call of your voice, so sing." Her firm tone said that I didn't have any room to argue with her, and if I tried to debate with her, she would be more than slightly displeased.  
  
Mentally sighing, I opened my mouth and began to sing the only song I could think of. "I know a song that gets on everybody's ner--" I felt a hand firmly cover my mouth, cutting off my voice.  
  
"Sing that song, and I'll see just how effective my spirit wave is against you," the old woman informed me, pulling her hand back to her side. "So, why don't you try again?"  
  
I nodded, scratching Hiei under his chin, and attempted another song. "Three blind mice, th-" Almost instantly, I had a hand over my mouth again.  
  
"You really didn't get it the first time, did you?" Genkai asked.  
  
I shook my head. "No." I didn't know what she was asking from me. I didn't know a whole lot of songs, and the ones I did I had learned when I had been young.  
  
She sighed, shaking her head. "Have you ever listened to the radio?"  
  
"No, not really." My car hadn't had a radio. I had specifically bought a car without a radio because it had been cheaper.  
  
"Alright, fine. Stay here; I'll be back in a moment." With an annoyed expression on her face, she walked off.  
  
I turned my attention the kitten, who was currently climbing up the front of the kimono. Shaking my head, I helped him, setting him on my shoulder. He seemed happy with that, purring and poking his nose into my ear. Hiei certainly was cute.  
  
A small thud made me look behind me. I saw Genkai with a small boombox at her feet, her arms crossed. "Alright. I can pick up a few radio stations here, and I'm sure the dimwit can bring back some CDs from his place the next time he goes home." She turned on the radio, and music instantly flooded the air.  
  
My eyes widened slightly as I actually recognized one of the songs. During middle school and the first half of high school, I had ridden the bus, sitting behind a girl who had always listened to the same CD every morning and afternoon. During that time, I had learned the lyrics to every song she had possessed on that CD.  
  
Knowing what Genkai wanted me to do; I licked my lips and opened my mouth. "And we stare each other down like victims in the grind, probing all the weakness and hurt still left behind, and we cry... the tears of pearls," I sang, not quite sure how me singing would train the guys to resist my voice. "We do it. Oh we do it."  
  
My voice was amazing in my new body, sounding like it was filled with magic. Every note I sang came out clear and perfect, no matter how high or low it was. Little Hiei seemed to enjoy my singing as well, purring louder than before.  
  
Kuwabara suddenly came into view, walking out of the shrine. He appeared to be in some kind of daze, his eyes unfocused and on me.  
  
"Is love really the tragedy the way you might describe? Or would a thousand lovers still leave you cold inside? Make you cry... these tears of pearls." A zombie-like Kuwabara slowly walked toward me as Hiei and Yusuke appeared. I stopped singing for a few moments, letting the music continue on without me.  
  
All these mixed emotions we keep locked away like stolen pearls-- Stolen pearl devotions we keep locked away from all the world.   
  
The three males came out of their daze, Kuwabara standing right next to me. "Wait a minute... how'd I get here?" the carrot-top asked, sounding confused. "I was just in the kitchen, getting a drink of water. At least, I think I was. All I remember is a pretty voice calling to me."  
  
"Me too," Yusuke added, rubbing the back of his neck. Hiei disappeared almost immediately.  
  
"I think Myra had something to do with it," Kurama commented.  
  
"That was Myra," Genkai stated, nodding at the redhead. "Now, get going and try to resist next time!" They obeyed, so I began singing again.  
  
"Your kisses are like pearls so different and so rare, but anger stole the jewels away, and love has left you bare." I petted the kitten as the real Hiei reappeared, quickly followed by Kurama and Yusuke. "Made you cry... these tears of pearls."  
  
Both Kurama and Yusuke fought my voice, their movements slow. The closer they came to me, the slower they moved. Hiei, on the other hand, made steady progress, not stopping until he was standing directly in front of me. The kitten began growling, the sound barely loud enough for me to hear, and he was right by my ear.  
  
"Well, I could be the tired joker--pour my heart to get you in," I sang, but I quickly shut my mouth when Hiei reached out to touch me, causing the feline to hiss and extend his claws. The kitten was obviously not a fan of other males.  
  
Sacrifice my happiness just so I could win. Maybe cry... these tears of pearls   
  
Almost instantly, Hiei disappeared. Kurama and Yusuke fully came out of their dazes, a wistful smile on the redhead's face.  
  
"It seems I need to work a little harder," he stated before walking off. Yusuke just scowled and ran into the shrine, probably wanting to put as much distance between the two of us as possible.  
  
All these mixed emotions we keep locked away like stolen pearls-- Stolen pearl devotions we keep locked away from all the world.   
  
"Go on, keep singing," Genkai ordered. "They won't learn if you don't keep at it."  
  
I nodded. "We twist and turn where angels burn. Like fallen soldiers we will learn that once forgotten, twice removed. Love will be the death... the death of you." I licked my lips again, knowing that the song would soon be over. I almost couldn't wait. "All these mixed emotions we keep locked away like stolen pearls--stolen pearl devotions we keep locked away from all the world."  
  
All four males were suddenly back, and just in time to hear the end of the song. Strangely enough, it took them all a few moments longer to come out of the trances than the other times. The third commercial was almost finished by the time the first male--Kuwabara--came to.  
  
"Freaky. How'd I get back out here?" he inquired, obviously lost.  
  
Genkai rolled her eyes. "Myra's singing called you out here, stupid," she answered, tone sharp. She didn't seem to tolerate mentally challenged people all that well.  
  
Yusuke and Kurama awakened at the same time, both of them focusing on me almost instantly. The redhead leaned against a nearby shrine wall, while Yusuke merely crossed his arms, looking less than happy.  
  
Hiei came out of his daze last, his red gaze sharpening. He was less than three feet away from me, his black cloak blowing in the wind. Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes at me as he reached behind his back. "Why did you sing that song?" he demanded to know, tone cold and dangerous. He was angry about what I had sung, but I wasn't sure why.  
  
"It was on the radio, and I knew it," I answered softly as the feline leapt off my shoulder. Little Hiei went closer to the real Hiei, hissing, claws extended. He took a swipe at the black-haired man but missed; the real Hiei had easily dodged the attack.  
  
"Hn. Learn to control that cat of yours," he advised before disappearing once again.  
  
Genkai shooed the other boys off before turning to me. "Give them a good head start before you start singing again," she advised.  
  
I nodded my head. "Okay." Of course, it didn't help that I didn't know most of the songs the station played.  
  
Eventually, a song came on that I did know, and training began once again.

* * *

CotA: I apologize for taking so long to update. Please forgive me.

Zebez: If they don't forgive you, you could always simply refuse to update. They'd forgive you really fast then.

Kali: ::rolls her eyes:: _'Hanyou no baka.'_

CotA: Be nice, Kali. It wouldn't kill you.

Kali: _'Yes, it would.' _

Sess-chan: She is right though. He is an idiot.

Zebez: What was that, little doggie?

Sess-chan and Zebez: ::begin fighting::

CotA: ::sighs:: Some day... ::shakes head:: Alright, the review responses are below.

RLCassie: Sorry, but I won't be putting any chappies from Hiei's POV. The entire story will be from Myra's. I'm taking this as a challenge.

BlackFireGoddess: Thank you, and Hiei didn't beat up the sales lady. She merely surprised him.

Kitsune'sGirl370: The second movie was done by a different studio? Go figure. No wonder it stunk.

A Lone Blade: Thank you, and I found the kitten funny too. I understand why Myra's views on her life are getting on your nerves, but you have to understand that she's thought that way for 13 years, and she's only been in her new body for a few days. No one can change their way of thinking in such a short amount of time, especially such a dramatic change. Give her time.

Megami: Work ethic? ::begins laughing:: I have a work ethic? Oh my... that's a good one.

annemarieh: Hiei doesn't like Myra, at least not in the way I think you're thinking. And it'll take a long time before there's any romance. Sorry.

Raynin: Yes, I spelled bag wrong. My beta reader caught it... but I unfortunately didn't show her the chappie until after I had posted it. Stupid, ne?

Seiyo-san: Well, now you know what Hiei thinks of the kitten--he could care less about it.

Kaimi Kitsune: Yes, clueless. And you're right; the sales lady did corner Hiei. Poor fire demon. ::chuckles:: And the kitten's name is simply 'Hiei.' I used 'Little Hiei' so as not to cause confusion.

hotpinkblood: Who says Hiei can't purr? ::grins evilly::

White Fanged Wolf: Why are you depressed? Is it because I update so slowly?

Katsuko: Thank you... and Hiei already knew Myra had the kitten. After all, he was watching over her.

Asilin Kheldarson: Don't worry, Myra will open up a bit more... eventually.


	9. Chapter 9

About an hour and a half later, Genkai called the training session to a halt, claiming that the dimwits needed a break. Of course, she also said I needed to drink my tea to make sure my withdrawal symptoms didn't come back. I wasn't looking forward to drinking the bitter tea, but I nodded my head obediently. Genkai was not someone I wanted to tick off.  
  
Everyone gathered in a large room. I sat in a corner with the tea pot, a cup, and the kitten in my lap; Yukina, Keiko, Botan, and Shizuru sat relatively close to me, all of them talking cheerfully amongst themselves... mainly about how funny it was to see the guys in a trance.  
  
Genkai chose to sit on a mat near the center of the room, sipping at a cup of tea. Kurama was leaning against the wall right by the door, Hiei not too far away. Yusuke sat down cross-legged halfway between Genkai and the redhead, Kuwabara leaning against the wall farthest from me.  
  
Yusuke was talking with the old woman again, which didn't surprise me. He seemed to naturally complain to her. "So, Grandma, how much longer are we going to have to train with Myra?" he asked, stretching his arms above his head.  
  
"Until you succeed in resisting her voice," Genkai replied calmly, sipping at her tea. "And at the rate you're going, it'll take at least a month."  
  
"A MONTH!" The black-haired boy flopped down into a laying position, arms and legs flung out. "Can't we just skip the training and stick cotton in our ears or something?"  
  
"No, dimwit!" the old woman snapped back. "What happens if your ear plug falls out? You'll be completing susceptible to her voice then, incapable of resisting its call. Of course, unless you want to be cut to pieces by someone while you're in a trance, far be it from me to stop you."  
  
"Ugh." Yusuke made a face. "Fine. I'll stick around for the training."  
  
Kurama, at that point, decided to start a rather loud conversation with Hiei. "Hiei, I'm impressed," he began, a smile on his face. "I never knew you were so good at picking out perfumes. Did you borrow Myra's, or did you test it on yourself before buying it for her?"  
  
Hiei growled. "Kitsune, don't make me carve your nose off your face."  
  
Shizuru grinned. "That's right. Myra said you followed her into the mall, didn't you, Myra?" She looked over at me, brown eyes sparkling mischievously.  
  
I nodded my head. "Yes, ma'am," I replied, earning a glare from the red- eyed male. I mentally cringed, knowing that he would beat me up later. He looked so angry, and he obviously had no problem dishing out verbal threats.  
  
"Hmmm... it seems Hiei is interested in our little songbird," the redhead stated, a devious expression on his face. He enjoyed teasing the short male without a doubt. "And I must admit, the perfume suits Myra perfectly. I compliment you on your excellent choice."  
  
Hiei began to draw his sword, his eyes narrowed in anger. He didn't seem to like the way the conversation was going. "Don't make me force you to stop talking," he threatened, tone dangerous and cold.  
  
I simply drank my tea, doing my best not to wince at the nasty, bitter taste as I watched the conversation between Hiei and Kurama. Interestingly enough, the others (except for Yukina and Genkai) pitched in, helping the redhead lay into the short demon.  
  
"Oh, Hiei, have you seen Myra's new kitten?" Kurama inquired, grinning. "It's quite an adorable creature, and it even reminds me of you a little." His smile grew wider as his eyes flickered up to glance at me. "It's almost all black, and it has big red eyes, just like you. Amazingly enough, it even has the same name as you. I guess Myra must really like you to name her kitten after you, wouldn't you say?"  
  
"Yeah, Hiei," Yusuke added, a devilish expression on his face. "Last I checked, girls only named their pets after their boyfriends."  
  
"Oh, so the shorty has finally got himself a girlfriend, huh?" Kuwabara inquired dumbly.  
  
Yusuke sweatdropped. "Kuwabaka," he muttered under his breath.  
  
I mentally sighed. Somehow he had missed most of the conversation. Everyone was teasing Hiei. He was most certainly not dating me. No one would ever want to date me because I was simply too worthless and pathetic. I didn't deserve a boyfriend; I deserved death.  
  
During Kurama's entire spiel and the added comments, Hiei only grew more annoyed. I could easily see his temper rising, although I wasn't quite sure where his limit was. He had probably already passed his limit though.  
  
"Kurama, don't make me rip out your precious voice box," he growled out, completely drawing his sword as the girls giggled. Even Genkai seemed amused by everything, a small smile on her face.  
  
I finished off my tea, setting down my cup as Hiei and Kurama continued to chat, with the black-haired demon making plenty of threats. The redhead simply seemed to enjoy teasing the shorter male.  
  
After a while, Hiei simply left, although I could still sense him watching me. Did he never sleep? I mentally sighed, standing up, Hiei sitting on my shoulder. I needed to take the teapot and cup to the kitchen and wash them.  
  
Genkai seemed to sense what I was doing because she handed me her cup as I passed. "Here. As long as you're going to the kitchen, take mine too," she ordered. "And once you're done in there, we'll give the guys a break from your singing so we can continue your training. Go to the dojo and practice your punches and kicks."  
  
I nodded, walking off to do her bidding.  
  
Soon enough, I was back in the dojo, hitting and kicking away at the punching bag. Hiei, of course, was watching me, but strangely enough, he was actually in the room. He stood about five feet from me, carefully watching me and pointing out anything I did wrong. Every time he came too close, the kitten would hiss at him.  
  
"Is that all you know how to do?" Hiei inquired. "Punch and side kick?"  
  
I nodded. No one had ever even tried to teach me how to fight before, so it was a new experience for me.  
  
He rolled his eyes, coming up to stand beside me. "Try this." He performed about five or six different kicks, one after another, making sure to move slowly enough for me to see what he was doing but fast enough for the kicks to almost look like one graceful move.  
  
"Yes, sir," I replied, trying to do what he wanted. I failed, falling down on my first try.  
  
The male simply stared down at me. "Try again," he ordered.  
  
"Yes, sir." I stood up, giving it another attempt. When I failed a little over ten times in a row, Hiei grew impatient.  
  
"No. Like this," he growled, grabbing my foot mid-kick, his grip a little hard.  
  
My kitten growled, jumping onto Hiei's leg and digging his claws into the man's skin. Hiei released me, reaching down and pulling the cat off his leg by the scruff of the kitten's neck. He made a move to toss the kitten aside, but I stopped him, relieving the hissing and clawing feline from his grasp.  
  
"Shhh, Hiei," I said soothingly to the kitten, scratching its ears as I cradled it against my chest. "Calm down." For some reason, I had no problem talking to the cat.  
  
The black-haired man crossed his arms, obviously still annoyed. "Are you done messing with that troublesome neko?"  
  
I nodded my head, setting Hiei down after scratching his ears. He continued to purr even when I released him.  
  
Once the kitten was out of the way, Hiei took my foot again and guided me through the movements. He obviously had little patience, not that I could blame him. My mother had never had patience with me. I had always been too slow for her, earning quite a few beatings whenever I hadn't done something quickly enough.  
  
He stepped back after a moment, letting me try the multiple kicks on my own. I succeeded, performing the move perfectly. I glanced at Hiei, hoping that he would be pleased. I had always wanted to please my mother in hopes that she would stop beating me. Of course, I had never done anything right, so she had kept punishing me for my faults.  
  
"Do it again," Hiei ordered, and I obeyed. He watched me carefully, and as soon as I was done, did another set of moves, combining kicks with punches. "Do that now."  
  
I nodded, trying my best to precisely copy what he had done. I almost accomplished my goal, but I came up a little short. Hiei had to correct me a few times, showing me the moves again. The kitten, to his credit, sat a few feet away and hissed at the black-haired demon whenever he came too close. He was smart enough not to attack the red-eyed male again.  
  
As soon as I had the current combination of kicks and punches down, Hiei moved on to show me something else, watching me carefully as I executed the new moves. Every time I made a mistake, he corrected me, not even moving to hit me. I was surprised by that, but I eventually accepted the fact that he didn't seem to want to hurt me. It was strange but nice.  
  
A few hours later, right after showing me a new set of moves, Hiei disappeared. I blinked a few times, unsure as to where he had gone. I could still sense him, but I couldn't see him. While I stood still in confusion, the kitten came up and rubbed his side against my ankle, practically begging to be picked up.  
  
Genkai entered the room right as I cuddled Hiei to my chest like one would a baby, rubbing his stomach. He purred loudly, not even bothered by the position he was in. The kitten seemed to like attention of any kind.  
  
"I see Hiei is disrupting your training," the old woman commented as she set a tray of food down on the floor.  
  
"I'm sorry, Genkai. I'll try not to be distracted again," I promised, bowing my head.  
  
She sighed, sounding annoyed. "Relax, why don't you?" she responded. "You probably needed a break anyway." She pointed at the food. "Eat up. The food will help with the withdrawal." She began to turn away, but she stopped at the door. "And some of it is for Hiei. That dimwit has to eat too."  
  
I nodded my head. "Okay."  
  
"After supper, no more training," Genkai continued. "I just want you to listen to the radio for a few hours. Kami, if I hear you start to sing another childish song, I'll see just how effective my spirit wave is on you."  
  
"Okay." I sat down as she left and slowly began to eat, the kitten in my lap. I fed him little bites of food, earning purrs and gentle licks for my actions.  
  
After a few minutes, Hiei appeared in the room again. I looked up at him, blinking a few times. I couldn't help but find his speed amazing. Never in my life had I seen anyone move so fast.  
  
"Genkai said some of this food is for you," I informed him softly, holding onto the kitten with both of my hands. I didn't want him attacking his namesake again.  
  
"I know." With that said, Hiei grabbed a sandwich and a bowl of rice, disappearing quickly afterwards.  
  
I looked down at the feline in my lap. "He forgot his eating utensils," I whispered to him, scratching his ears. In response, Hiei purred.  
  
When I looked back up, a fork was gone. Hiei was really, really fast.  
  
I finished off my meal and washed the dishes as the kitten batted at the soap bubbles that floated up out of the sink. Then, I went to my room, finding all my new clothes already put away and the radio on top of the dresser.  
  
As ordered, I turned on the radio, letting the music fill the air. Listening carefully to the lyrics so I could memorize them, I changed into my pajamas and laid down in bed. Hiei curled up on my stomach, his tail twitching in time to the beat of the song.  
  
I watched Hiei's tail for a while, finding it immensely amusing that the twitching would speed up or slow down, depending on the music. Of course, sometime while I was amusing myself with the kitten, I fell asleep, the radio still playing.

* * *

CotA: Well, it seems I took a while again to update. Sorry. I have been trying though. I don't have a clue when I'll post the next chappie. I'm so busy with work and other real life stuff that I don't seem to have time anymore to write. And next week, I'm starting another part time job, so I'll be working about 12 hours a day during the week. Yeah. Yippee. Well, the review responses are below. Enjoy!

Katsuko: Thanks. And I love the kittie Hiei too. He's so adorable!

Seiyo-san: Thank you. Of course Kuwabara is clueless. He wouldn't be Kuwabara if he wasn't.

Megami: I'm sorry for laughing, but I just don't have much of a work ethic, so I couldn't help it. I can take forever to update some stories. Some of my personal ones I haven't even looked at in over a year.

Kitsune's Girl370: I can deal with calling you Sazuka-chan. It's kind of a cute name, actually.

Kat1132: Thanks, and don't worry too much about reviewing late. I don't mind at all.

Raynin: Thanks for forgiving me. It'd be bad to have angry reviewers.


	10. Chapter 10

Yukina woke me up early in the morning, a smile on her face. "Good morning," she said in her sweet voice. "I thought that we might be able to do something more about your hair."  
  
I nodded, moving Hiei so I could sit up, my long hair tumbling all around me. The kitten batted at some stray strands, obviously enjoying himself. His tail swished back and forth as he continued in his entertainment, looking as adorable as ever.  
  
The young girl blinked a few times. "Your hair... it's back to its full length." She seemed to be surprised, but she shook it off. "Oh yes. Botan said something about that before she and the other girls left." She smiled. "Well, it doesn't seem to be all that tangled, so I'll see if I can brush it out."  
  
"Okay." I stood up, Hiei in my arms, allowing Yukina to see just how long my hair was.  
  
She began at the bottom and worked her way up, talking kindly to me the whole time. "If you like, I can do this every morning since your hair is so long. It's probably impossible to take care of on your own." She was incredibly gentle as she worked every tangle out of my hair, not hurting me in the slightest. It was strange to think of, because she actually seemed to not want to injure me in any way. No one had ever acted that way toward me before.  
  
"I can braid your hair too," Yukina offered in a sweet voice. "It'll look pretty like that."  
  
"Okay." It wasn't like I could argue. I had never been allowed to argue before, so it wasn't like I could do so now. Besides, I didn't want to, mainly because it was against my nature.  
  
When Yukina finished brushing my hair, she did what she said she would--she braided it into one long braid. When she hung the finished product over my shoulder, I could see that she had tried it with a black ribbon.  
  
"What do you think?" she asked softly.  
  
I looked over my shoulder at her, finding her smiling sweetly. "Think?" I repeated. No one ever asked me what I thought about something. It just wasn't done.  
  
"Yes, think. Do you like it?" she insisted, sounding curious. Her red eyes watched me innocently, her smile not leaving her face for an instant.  
  
I nodded my head. "Yes." I did like the braid, but I was also giving her the answer she obviously wanted. I wasn't one for stating my opinion... ever.  
  
Her smile widened. "Good. Then we can do this every morning," she replied. "I'm happy."  
  
I blinked, my eyes watching her carefully. She was... happy... because I had said yes? I had never made anyone happy before, and it was a strange feeling.  
  
"As soon as you've changed and had breakfast, Genkai wants to resume the training with the guys," Yukina continued after a moment.  
  
"Okay." I stood up and began doing as I was told, Yukina leaving the room as I pulled clothes out of drawers. I picked out a pair of black pants and a black t-shirt as well as a lacy black bra and underwear set the girls had insisted I get. I didn't quite understand the reason behind their insistence, but I decided it would be a good idea to wear them instead of hurting their feelings by leaving the set in the dresser.  
  
I tossed everything on, the tiny kitty watching my every movement. As soon as I was dressed, he walked up to me and rubbed against my leg, meowing pitifully.  
  
Shaking my head at him, I picked him up. "Hiei, you are pathetic, you know that?" I whispered as he climbed onto my shoulder, poking his nose into my ear. I scratched his ears for his funny gesture and then went to the kitchen.  
  
I ate a quick breakfast, fetched the radio, and finally went to the same place as I had been the day before. Sitting down, I turned the radio on. As soon as a song came on that I knew, I began to sing.  
  
"When I pretend everything is what I want it to be, I look exactly like what you always wanted to see. When I pretend, I can't forget about the criminal I am, stealing second after second just cause I know I can but... I can't pretend this is the way it'll stay; I'm just," I sang, letting my voice fill the air.  
  
I still found it strange that I could sing so well, but then, I was a siren. It made sense, in a way, although I had never been good at anything before. Of course, my voice caused problems, which reminded me... I needed to keep an eye out for anyone to show up so I could stop singing if I needed to.  
  
I calmly watched my surroundings, waiting for one of the guys to appear. I knew that one of them would eventually, since I was a siren. It was, after all, what they had done the last time.  
  
"(Lying to bend the truth) I can't pretend I'm who you want me to be, so I'm (Lying my way from you) No no turning back now (I wanna be pushed aside so let me go) No no turning back now (Let me take back my life I'd rather be all alone) No turning back now (Anywhere on my own cuz I can see) No no turning back now (The very worst part of you is me)." My voice was barely audible over the music, but I didn't want to sing loudly.  
  
Genkai came out of the shrine and looked down at me. "Sing louder or else the dimwits won't hear you. I think Yusuke is still in bed."  
  
I nodded my head as Kurama came into view. "I remember what they taught to me; remember condescending talk for who I ought to be. Remember listening to all of that and this again, so I pretended up a person who was fittin' in." I watched the redhead come progressively closer, his green eyes unfocused. "And now you think this person really is me and I'm (Trying to bend the truth) Cuz the more I push the more I'm pulling away cuz I'm..."  
  
When he came close enough to touch me, I had to stop singing. Yusuke and Kuwabara were already close by, both in a daze until I shut my mouth.  
  
(Lying my way from you)  
  
No no turning back now  
  
(I wanna be pushed aside, so let me go)  
  
No no turning back now  
  
(Let me take back my life; I'd rather be all alone)  
  
No turning back now  
  
(Anywhere on my own cuz I can see)  
  
No no turning back now  
  
(The very worst part of you)  
  
(The very worst part of you is ME)   
  
Yusuke shook his head. "What a way to get woke up," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. He was still in his pajamas, which consisted of a pale green button-down shirt and a pair of matching cotton pants.  
  
"Yeah, unusual too," Kuwabara added, dressed in his blue school uniform. "What was that?"  
  
"Myra's voice, dimwit," Genkai answered, rolling her eyes. "Now get going and see if you can keep from coming over here the next time she sings." She glared at them when they didn't move. "That means beat it!"  
  
"Alright, alright, Grandma. We're going," Yusuke retorted, stalking off, Kuwabara following close behind.  
  
Kurama smiled down at me. "It seems your powers are quite formidable. Even my Youko side was ensnared when you sang." Still smiling after giving me that undeserved compliment, he walked off.  
  
Genkai shook her head. "There are days..."  
  
I mentally shrugged and resumed singing. "This isn't what I wanted to be, I never thought that what I said would have you running from me. Like This." I suddenly saw Hiei, Kurama, and Yusuke all within fifty feet of me, with Hiei being the closest. Kuwabara was no where in sight.  
  
"This isn't what I wanted to be, I never thought that what I said would have you running from me. Like This." Yusuke appeared to be fighting against my voice the best, and Kurama seemed to be doing about the same. Hiei was a different story though.  
  
"This isn't what I wanted to be, I never thought that what I said would have you running from me. Like This." Hiei kept coming closer and closer until he was just a foot away from me. "This isn't what I wanted to be, I never thought that what I said would have you running from me. Like This."  
  
I stopped singing, watching his ruby red eyes go from foggy to crystal clear. He slightly shook his head, as if ridding himself of his daze. Then, he disappeared.  
  
(You)  
  
No turning back now  
  
(I wanna be pushed aside so let me go)  
  
No no turning back now  
  
(Let me take back my life I'd rather be all alone)  
  
No turning back now  
  
(Anywhere on my own cuz I can see)  
  
No no turning back now  
  
(The very worst part of you)  
  
(The very worst part of you is me)   
  
The song ended, and the guys began to leave, following in Hiei's example. Strangely enough though, they stopped when Koenma appeared just a few feet away from me. He looked nervous, the pacifier in his mouth rapidly moving from side to side as he sucked on it.  
  
Why had he come? Why was he so nervous? Did he have bad news? Was I going to be punished for agreeing to come back to life in a new body?  
  
Koenma looked over at me, shaking his head. "I see Botan decided to take a little more license with the credit card than usual," he commented, reaching out to pet the kitten.  
  
Hiei hissed at him, unsheathing his claws. Even when the toddler backed up, the feline continued to hiss. Hiei obviously hated men.  
  
"Whacha here for, pacifier breath?" Yusuke inquired rudely.  
  
The ruler of spirit world scowled at him. "I know I've told you many times not to call me that," he protested.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever," the raven-haired youth retorted.  
  
Genkai shook her head and broke up the little argument. "Why are you here, Koenma?"  
  
The toddler looked over at her. "I have a new case for the guys," he replied, causing Yusuke to groan. "I have to admit that it's a little different from your other ones. A powerful demon escaped into Ningenkai a few days ago, and we're not sure if she means to cause any trouble or not."  
  
"Get to the point already," Yusuke insisted impatiently.  
  
"Yeah, what do you want us to do?" Kuwabara asked. Kurama, wisely, remained quiet.  
  
"I will; just give me a moment," Koenma snapped back. "I want you all to spy on her and figure out if she means this world any harm."  
  
"You wish for us to follow her around, study what she does, and then report back to your our findings, correct?" Kurama inquired, earning a nod. "Then as soon as you inform us on where to find her, I'll take the first watch."  
  
"She's in this city attending a private school for all girls during the day called Shiro Academy," the toddler stated. "And there's a little bit more. Don't anger her no matter what, and if she's already angry, try to diffuse the situation. I can't have an angry demon running rampant around Ningenkai."  
  
"Okay... this oughta be interesting," Yusuke commented, grinning. "You're having us do your Peeping Tom business."  
  
"WHAT?!" Koenma almost fell down at that statement, his eyes wide. "I am not!" He sounded adamant about that, but I had the feeling he was most likely hiding something from the group... something important. I just couldn't figure out what it was, although it probably had something to do with the demon we were going to be spying on.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Sure. Whatever you say," the raven-haired teen replied mischievously, winking at the toddler. "I know what you're all about."  
  
The ruler of spirit world switched from wide eyes to a glare. "Yusuke, shut up," he ordered. "This isn't a time to be cracking jokes. This demon is stronger than any of you can imagine... stronger than both Hiei and Kurama combined. She's stronger than Toguro."  
  
"Is that possible?" Kuwabara wondered, staring at the toddler. He didn't look convinced.  
  
It was Yusuke's turn to look surprised. "What? Stronger than.... Toguro?" He paled slightly.  
  
Who in the world was Toguro, and why was everyone reacting so much to that name? Everyone looked tense. Well, everyone except Hiei. He simply didn't seem to care; it was if he considered the guy named Toguro to be nothing but a crushable fly.  
  
Koenma nodded. "Yes. She's probably twenty or thirty times stronger."  
  
Kurama frowned slightly, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Then we will have to be most careful when we watch her. We don't want to rouse her anger."  
  
Kuwabara nodded in agreement. "Yeah," he agreed, looking over at the tiny ruler. "But can't you just send her back to Makai?"  
  
"No," Koenma replied. "Circumstances are preventing that, although I would rather just ship her back home instead of let her stay here. She's like a ticking bomb."  
  
Yusuke groaned. "Great. We have the worst kind of guest--the guest you can't get rid of, like a mother-in-law," he muttered, his tone one of annoyance. "And I'm too young to have one of those."  
  
"Are you as stupid as the baka?" Hiei demanded to know, glancing from Yusuke to Kuwabara.  
  
"Hey, who are calling a baka?" the carrot top demanded to know, narrowing his already narrow eyes in anger.  
  
"You, obviously, or have you lost your hearing as well as your brain?" the short demon retorted evenly.  
  
Kurama ignored the argument to ask the toddler another question. "What kind of circumstances?"  
  
Koenma fidgeted nervously. "Ones that I can't explain right now. Even I don't know everything yet," he replied, voice strained.  
  
He was definitely hiding something, but I wasn't sure what. I could tell that he obviously knew much more than we did, but he was keeping the facts from us for some reason. Was it because I was present? Did he not want me to know anything? Mother never had, so I saw no reason for him to be any different.  
  
"Koenma has a different reason," Hiei stated suddenly, looking straight at me.  
  
Had he actually read my mind? That was the only way he could have possibly known to say something like that right then. The statement was so out of place in the conversation that I couldn't help but believe that he had read my mind. Hiei could really read minds. Amazing. Although, why he would want to read my mind was beyond me.  
  
"Huh?" Yusuke blinked in confusion, an unintelligent expression on his face. He merely earned a glare in response.  
  
"Never mind, Yusuke," Kurama advised. "We have much more important things to worry about."  
  
Koenma nodded. "I'll leave everything in your capable hands. I'm going back to Reikai to see what else I can find out about her." Then, he was gone.  
  
The redhead sighed thoughtfully. "Since we are all going to be needed for spying, we should all go find her now, so we all know what she looks like."  
  
"And how are supposed to know her when we find her? Koenma didn't give us anything to go on," Yusuke stated, sounding annoyed. "Stupid toddler."  
  
"If she's as powerful as Koenma claims, she won't be hard to spot," Hiei stated, crossing his arms. He didn't offer any more explanation than that, leaving me a little confused.  
  
Kuwabara cocked his head to the side, obviously as lost as I was. "Oh? And how is that?" he asked, looking at the short demon for an answer.  
  
Before Hiei could make any kind of sharp retort, Kurama stepped in. "Demons as powerful as that have distinguishing marks, such as strange hair or eyes colors like Myra. They also might have strange energy signatures or extra body parts, like a jagan."  
  
"Sounds creepy," the carrot top commented.  
  
"Ah, so they'll stick out like a sore thumb most of the time." Yusuke nodded. "Gotcha."  
  
"I guess you could say that," the redhead agreed.  
  
Yusuke rubbed his hands together, expression eager. "Let's go demon hunting!"

* * *

An hour later I found myself wandering around the city with Kurama, Yusuke, Hiei, and Kuwabara. Genkai had opted to stay behind, claiming that she wouldn't be of any help. Interestingly, the guys seemed surprised that Hiei had decided to come along. Kurama hid his surprise behind a knowing smile, while Yusuke and Kuwabara showed it openly, their eyes wide.  
  
I simply accepted it and tried to find the female demon. I saw hundreds of normal humans walking around, and many of them stared at me, their eyes lingering on my strange hair. A couple of gangster boys even wolf-whistled at me. Never in my life had I been subject to so much attention, and it made me nervous. I much preferred not being noticed.  
  
Instinctively, I curled in on myself, my eyes darting around as I still attempted to find the powerful demon. As I continued to search for her, I noticed Kurama walking close to me. I looked up at him, and he gave me a kind smile.  
  
"I'll see if I can keep some attention off you, but I have a feeling Yusuke or Hiei would be better at this," he stated, green eyes soft. "They have the natural glares that frighten most humans."  
  
I nodded my head in understanding. "Thank you."  
  
"You're welcome," Kurama replied politely.  
  
Not quite sure what else to do, I went back to searching. I saw brunettes, blondes, redheads, raven-haired people. Then there was the sea-green hair...  
  
I froze, my eyes focusing on a girl in a small cafe. Her wavy--almost curly--hair tumbled down her back. She was dressed in all white, a silver circlet with a single gem in the center going across her forehead. I couldn't see her eyes because they were looking down at a menu. She was probably the most beautiful female I had ever seen.  
  
I delicately touched the window, pointing at her. "Is that possibly her?" I inquired, voice soft as I looked back at the guys.  
  
Kurama looked at where I was pointing and blushed. Hiei didn't seem to care, and both Yusuke's and Kuwabara's mouths dropped open, their eyes wide.  
  
After a moment, Yusuke nodded his head, eyes still wide. "Yeah. I'd say that's her."

* * *

CotA: And now I've introduced a new player in this interesting little game. ::grins:: And no, I'm not going to tell if she's good or bad. Have fun figuring that out on your own. The only thing I will do is apologize for taking so long to update. I really didn't mean to make you wait. ::grimmances:: Forgive me?  
  
Sess-chan: If they did not forgive you, how would they guarantee themselves a new chapter?  
  
CotA: ::shrugs:: Dunno.  
  
Kali: 'Now that was intelligent.' ::snorts::  
  
Zebez: Be nice to her. ::wraps his arms around CotA's waist from behind:: She's trying her hardest. Besides, it's hard not to be nice to someone with such a cute ass.  
  
CotA: ::narrows her eyes:: Zebez! Behave!  
  
Sess-chan: ::claws glowing green:: I will give you a choice, pitiful creature: either release her or become infected by my poison.  
  
Zebez: ::grins:: How about option number three? Run away with CotA! ::picks up CotA and sprints off::  
  
CotA: ::shouting and struggling::  
  
Sess-chan: ::growls and gives chase::  
  
Kali: ::sighs:: 'Pathetic, but I guess I'll have to end this. The review responses are below. Occupy yourselves whilst I deal with the others.' ::summons a fireball and walks off::  
  
Kitsune's Girl370: I've seen your reviews as Sazuka Chan. And thanks for the compliments.  
  
telephone icecream: ::laughs:: I didn't feel all that bad for him, mainly because I know Kurama enjoys teasing him. It seems to be one of his favorite hobbies.  
  
megami: Good luck mimicking what I do, because I don't even know how I do it. It's strange, but true. I just kinda type and see what comes out. Maybe someday I'll figure out how I do things, but till then, I'll just accept it.  
  
BlackFireGoddess: ::laughs:: Kami, I haven't heard that song in ages. And thanks for your support. I appreciate it more than you'll ever know.  
  
Kurama and Hiei's Angel: Many people seem to be able to relate to her, and I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing. After everything Myra's been through, I really hoped most people wouldn't be able to relate to her. I don't like the idea of anyone going through what she went through. It's just plain wrong.  
  
Sazuka Chan: I'm not telling who Myra ends up with, or even if she ends up with someone. It's mine and Sha-chan's secret. ::grins:: She's the one helping me on this story.  
  
Satan's Widdle Hellper: Um... thanks. Interesting way to compliment me, but thank you.  
  
Sei-san: Yes, most people would eat rice with chopsticks, but for some odd reason, Genkai only gave Myra forks, so Hiei put up with it. ::shrugs:: To tell you the truth, metal it probably easier to wash than wood or bamboo.  
  
Katsuko: Teasing Hiei is fun, and I adore the kitty cat. It's so cute! ::squeals:: I want one!  
  
Raynin: Thanks for telling me about the bio page. I had completely forgotten. I also think I need to add You Thought Wrong... OOPS! Silly me. ::laughs:: And I'll see what I can do about reviewing one of your stories, and I promise not to flame. And some of the characters are OOC? Where? Please tell me. I'd like to fix it. And yes, they do use chopsticks, but this is Genkai we're talking about. I don't think she'd really care about whether to use chopsticks or not.  
  
White Fanged Wolf: I'm glad you're enjoying the story no matter what feelings it causes. And thanks. I am having good luck so far.  
  
Kat1132: You did review earlier. Sometimes, it can take up to a day to add something to the site. You just have to be patient.  
  
starwarsfan2008: I didn't even realize I had put hints in this story. ::shrugs:: It's just part of my writing style, I guess.  
  
ThnHorse: Who says I'm putting Myra and Hiei together? I do know that Myra's personality will make it all but impossible to hook her up with anyone. Before she can fall for anyone, she has to first learn to like herself... and admit she has emotions. 


	11. Chapter 11

**CotA: It took me a while to notice, but freaken messed up the chappie 10, so I had to go back and reload it. Over half of it was missing. ::sweatdrops:: Thank Kami one of my friends pointed it out. Well, reading the complete chapter 10 might answer some questions... might. I'm not sure. It's too darn early in the morning to be sure of anything. Well, onto the story.**

**---------------**

Not too long after seeing the demon we were after, Kurama sent everyone off. He had decided to watch over the girl for the rest of the day and all of the next. Hiei would take he next shift, and I would take the third. The others had yet to decide when they would play spy.

Thus, Yusuke and Kuwabara had returned to their houses in the town, and I went back to the shrine, Hiei not too far behind. I was definitely used to having him around, and it was strangely comforting, in a way. It was something constant and dependable, something I could become used to. I could never figure out why he followed me, but at least I understood that he was stubborn enough to constantly keep it up.

I arrived back at the shrine in the middle of the afternoon, Hiei hidden but watching me. Genkai greeted me at the door, my kitten in her arms. A sour look on her face, she deposited the creature in my hands, the gesture full of distaste. She obviously was not happy with kitty Hiei.

"The baka neko doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut," she stated, tone one of annoyance, causing me to mentally wince. She was going to hit me soon for leaving her to deal with the kitten. "Next time you leave, take him with you."

"Okay." I nodded my head obediently as Hiei purred for all he was worth and rubbed his tiny head against my chest. Then, he curled up in a ball in my hand, eyes closed, still purring. He seemed to be happy to see me, and I couldn't help but scratch his adorable little ears. There was just something about the kitten that brought something out of me, something that allowed me to speak and move without really caring too much about what others thought.

"Did you miss me, Hiei?" I asked the kitten in a whisper as Genkai walked off. She didn't seem to have anything for me to do. That, or she had already forgotten about me.

The kitten gently licked my fingers before closing his eyes and continuing to purr. He probably had missed me, and I felt better knowing that. Even though he was only a kitten, Hiei was special to me, and I didn't even know why.

I hugged him close to me. "It's good to see you as well. I hope you didn't cause Genkai too much trouble," I mumbled softly in his ear. He didn't respond at all except to climb up the front of my shirt to sit on my shoulder, rubbing his nose against my cheek. The gesture was soothing in a way, something rhythmic I could concentrate on instead of the rest of the world. It was nice.

Suddenly, Genkai came back, a broom in one hand and the boom box in her other hand. "The paths need to be swept," she stated firmly, pointing to an area behind me.

I accepted the broom from her, Hiei mewling in annoyance when I moved too fast for his liking. "Okay," I responded, tone calm and submissive.

"And while you're doing that, you can sing. I believe Hiei is around, so he can continue with his training," Genkai continued, bending down to plug in the boom box.

It seemed like the old lady was a hard taskmistress with everyone. Not only did she keep me busy; but she also made sure that Hiei continued with his training, despite the absence of the others. It almost didn't seem fair that he had to work just as much as I did. I was worthless; he was not.

"Okay." I nodded my head in understanding, unwilling to argue with her on the black-haired male's defense.

"Good." A smirk tugging at the corners of her lips, she turned on the radio and walked off. Before she was fully out of sight, I heard her say one last thing. "The little pyro needs to catch up to the others."

I blinked a few times, not quite sure what to think of the last comment. It wasn't hard to figure out that "pyro" meant Hiei, but why would she call him such a thing? Did he love fire or something? And why did he need to catch up to the others? I had thought he was on the same level as them, so what was with the catching up? My singing affected the four boys equally.

After a moment, I mentally shrugged, reaching up with one hand to scratch under kitty Hiei's chin. Then, I began sweeping as a song I knew started to play.

"Catch me as I fall; say you're here and it's all over now," I sang, my voice just loud enough to be heard over the music, which was pretty loud. Speaking to the atmosphere, no one's here, and I fall into myself. This truth drives me into madness. I know I can stop the pain if I will it all away..."

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Hiei in a tree, his black form perched on a nearby branch, reminding me of a panther waiting to strike. He shifted his weight slightly, as if he really was about to jump out of the tree and toward me. His eyes were unfocused but strangely still focused on me. It was hard to describe the look he had, but it reminded me of an alert, fully functional drunk.

_** If I will it all away. **_

Just as soon as Hiei appeared, he disappeared. I couldn't spot him anywhere, and I couldn't even feel him watching me. He could really, really move fast. His speed was amazing, to say the least. Of course, I had no right to admire him... although I really did want to. Moving around at such a high speed sounded like fun.

"Don't turn away. (Don't give into the pain.) Don't try to hide. (Though they're screaming your name.) Don't close your eyes. (God knows what lies behind them.) Don't turn out the lights. (Never sleep; never die.)"

Hiei was once again back, standing even closer to me than ever. He was perhaps three or four feet away, his red eyes glazed over. I could tell that his mind was miles from his body.

_** I'm frightened by what I see, but somehow I know that there's much more to come. **_

When I stopped singing, Hiei shook his head slightly, his crimson eyes becoming sharp and focused once more. He didn't immediately notice me. In fact, it almost seemed like he was still trying to shake off the spell of my singing.

Perhaps Genkai had been right. Hiei did seem to have more problems than the others when it came to my singing. How strange, but considering his attitude, he would soon surpass the others.

** Immobilized by my fear, and soon to be blinded by tears. **

Hiei glared at me before disappearing, his black form vanishing among all the trees.

With a mental shrug, I began singing again. "I can stop the pain if I will it all away (If I will it all away...)." I took a quick look around before I resumed with the sweeping. I really did not want to be caught unaware by Hiei. "Don't turn away. (Don't give in to the pain.) Don't try to hide. (Though they're screaming your name.) Don't close your eyes. (God knows what lies behind them.) don't turn out the light. (Never sleep never die.)"

When Hiei didn't reappear, I relaxed a little bit, letting my mind drift as I continued to sweep. The simple chore really was enjoyable in a sense, mainly because it was near impossible to screw up. All I had to do was sweep all the stuff off the many paths. No problem. And the singing wasn't all that bad either when I thought about it. In truth, I really didn't even need to concentrate to do that. I just had to let the words flow out as the broom swished back and forth rhythmically over the stone path.

"Fallen angels at my feet; whispered voices at my ear; death before my eyes, lying next to me I fear." I reached up to my shoulder, scratching behind kitty Hiei's ears. He purred in my ear, the sound louder than usual. "She beckons me; shall I give in? Upon my end shall I begin? Forsaking all I've fallen for, I rise to meet my end."

I turned slightly, facing the shrine as I continued to work. "Don't turn away. (Don't give in to the pain.)"

I suddenly felt strong arms wrap around my waist from behind, a warm body pressed against my back. On top of that, I even head someone other than my car purring in my ear, the sound too deep and loud for the kitten to ever make. Of course, the kitten on my shoulder was hissing loudly, the sound almost overcoming the purr.

In my shock, I stopped singing, my eyes widening by the smallest fraction.

Who in the world was touching me? Not only was the embrace gentle, but it also felt a tad intimate. If I had actually possessed emotions, I might have blushed at such contact with another person. Instead, I just stood perfectly still, not moving a single muscle.

** Don't try to hide.  
(Though they're screaming your name.)  
Don't close your eyes.  
(God knows what lies behind them.)  
Don't turn out the light.  
(Never sleep; never die.) **

Strangely enough, the person behind me felt like Hiei; and upon looking down, I saw that black cloth encased the arms. The only one I could think of who wore long black sleeves was the black-haired demon. If it was Hiei, then he was probably going to really hit me for enchanting him long enough to draw him so close. He'd most likely punch my face in or something.

The arms around me disappeared, and I felt Hiei move away, causing my kitten to calm down. After patiently waiting for my punishment for a moment or two, I mentally sighed in relief. It seemed that I wasn't going to be punished.

All of a sudden, I felt a painful grip on my upper arm, forcing me to turn around. Soon, I found myself looking into a pair of angry crimson eyes, and I realized that it had taken Hiei longer than usual to throw off the effect of my singing. That had been why he hadn't hit me, so now he was most likely going to correct that little mistake. I was in for a world of hurt.

He growled, narrowing his flaming eyes. "Pay attention next time or I'll be forced to carve holes in the back of your head for a second set of eyes."

I nodded my head in understanding. "Yes sir." I was used to threats like that. My mother had used quite a few that had been worse than Hiei's. Of course, I had the strangest feeling that the demon in front of me was a thousand times more dangerous than my mother ever was or would be.

The red-eyed male momentarily tightened his grip even further, probably trying to impress upon me just how serious he was. Then, he was gone.

----------------

I kept on singing until suppertime, paying careful attention the entire time, when Yukina appeared, smiling sweetly. "It's time for dinner Myra, and I'm sure Hiei needs a small break from constantly running back and forth," she stated softly, reaching down and picking up the radio. She turned it off and then unplugged it, looking up at me for a response.

"Alright." I nodded my head, understanding that she wanted me to follow her.

Soon, we were both sitting at the low table, Genkai there as well. Hiei was nowhere in sight.

The old woman sighed. "I thought Hiei would be able to fight against your voice by now," she stated, taking a sip of her tea. "I was watching you as you sang, and every time you sang, he came in such a short amount of time. You were never even able to get through even half a song. I wonder why?" She looked at me, her expression scrutinizing. Then, she shook her head, as if dispelling her thoughts. "No, it's not possible."

"What is it, Genkai?" Yukina inquired, curious. "Perhaps it is not as impossible as you think."

Genkai laughed, her brown briefly closing before she bestowed a small smile on the red-eyed female. "It's just the foolish thoughts of an old woman. Pay me no mind."

"Alright." Yukina smiled innocently and left it at that. Me, I just sat there quietly, eating the meal in front of me. Periodically, I did glance at the place reserved for Hiei, but he never showed up, and the food never disappeared.

Dinner passed by in relative silence, and afterwards, I did the normal training in the dojo under Genkai's supervision. Then, I drank the bitter tea and went to bed.

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The next morning, after Yukina had dealt with my hair, I walked out of my room, Hiei sitting on my shoulder, yawning in my ear. The poor kitten was tired, and I even had an idea as to why. Instead of sleeping with me, the tiny creature had taken up a guard stance at my window. No matter how much I coaxed him, he remained on the windowsill, staring outside. I couldn't help but assume that he had stayed there the entire night, watching out for me, because he had still been standing there when I had awoken.

Feeling affectionate towards my cute pet, I reached up and scratched his ears, earning a soft purr in response. The poor thing really did sound tired. "Go to sleep, Hiei," I whispered to him. "You've earned it." In response, he dug his claws into my clothing and fell asleep.

Pondering over why the small animal had stayed up all night to play guard, I wasn't paying full attention as I walked down one of the halls. My eyes glided over the plain walls and the many doors up until something red flashed past me.

I stopped and did a double take, curious as to what the red had been. Slowly and quietly, I backed up, glancing into the room I had spotted the red in. It seemed that someone with long, scarlet hair and fuchsia clothing was sleeping on a futon. The person was facing away from me, but I could easily guess who it was. I only knew one person with such hair—Kurama. He was probably back from spying on the demon, so Hiei had taken his place. After over 24 hours without sleep, I could understand why he had crashed without closing the door or changing out of his normal clothes.

Being careful not to make any sounds, I backed up and closed the door, not wanting anyone else to wake him up. Then, I wandered into the kitchen for breakfast.

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The day passed quickly enough, and I didn't have to do any singing. Genkai didn't see any reason to wake Kurama up for a simple bit of training that she claimed he didn't need. So I did housework most of the day and helped Yukina in the kitchen. Nothing happened at all until close to sunset.

First of all, Kurama woke up and came out of the room, looking wide-awake. Yukina and I fixed him some dinner, considering he had missed the meals. Sitting at the table, he explained how the spying had gone to Genkai, Yukina, and myself.

"It seems she is much more sensitive to the presence of others than I previously anticipated," Kurama explained, setting down his glass and clicking his chopsticks together. "As I tailed her, she consistently looked around. She must have sensed my yoki."

"Do you know why she is in the ningenkai right now?" Yukina inquired. Genkai had already briefed the kind girl about the assignment the spirit detectives and I had.

He shook his head, eyes distant. "However, ever time she searched for me, the expression she had was not the one I had expected," he stated, taking a quite bite of food. After sipping at his drink for a moment, he continued. "It was if she was searching for someone she knew."

"Do you know her?" Genkai inquired, picking up her almost ever-present cup of tea.

"Not that I can recall," Kurama replied softly. "Although..."

"What about Youko?" the old woman persisted. "A powerful demon like her would be able to tell the difference between energy signatures without any trouble. If she recognized your yoki, then it's very possible that she met you or Youko at one time."

Interestingly, the redhead nodded. "I think she did see Youko at one time or another. I stole many treasures from an assortment of places, so that is high possibility, in fact."

Genkai gave a small sound of contemplation. "Then we'll have to figure that into our plans. If she recognizes you, then she will either be more willing to open up to you... or she'll simply want you dead."

"Yes, both of those are valid hypothesizes," Kurama responded, finishing off his food and neatly setting his chopsticks down by his plate.

Almost immediately, out of pure habit, I picked up his dish and went into the kitchen to wash it. Hiei protested all the movements I made by yowling in my ear, raising quite a protest. But, he eventually settled down, accepting that there was nothing he could do to make me desist in my actions.

I was gone for perhaps five minutes, but when I returned, Kurama had a rather unusual look on his face. Yukina looked clueless, and Genkai seemed perfectly normal, but there was something up with the redhead. Perhaps he had learned about my failure to pay attention during Hiei's training session. Was he going to punish me?

Kurama grinned. "Hiei should be back soon. I'm sure he's looking forward to seeing you," he said in an almost teasing tone. "It's rather unfortunate that you'll have to go off to watch over the demon, but absence does make the heart grow fonder."

I blinked, not quite sure what he was getting at. What in the world was he talking about? There was no way in the world Hiei would be looking forward to seeing me. After what had happened during the training session, he probably hated me.

"Urusai, fox," a deep, male voice growled out as something silver briefly flashed in the light.

"Ah, so the pyro's returned," Genkai commented, smirking.

I turned my head, catching sight of Hiei glaring at Kurama before the black-haired demon turned that look on me. "And you," he began, blood-red eyes deathly serious. "Don't screw up." Then, he was gone again.

Kurama sighed softly. "It seems that he forgot to tell us what happened." After a moment, he shrugged. "Well, I believe it's your turn." I nodded my head in understanding. "Please listen closely. The demon is staying in a condo at this address." He pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket and handed it to me, quickly proceeding to give me directions. "At about eight in the morning, she leaves for the academy. Follow her wherever she goes and see what you can learn."

"Alright." I nodded my head.

"There's a bus stop about a mile from here, and a bus should arrive to pick up passengers in about an hour or so," he continued, explaining the exact location as well. I already knew where the bus stop was, but he didn't know that. Since I didn't want to anger him, I kept quiet, letting him elucidate to his heart's content.

"You may want to head out now," Genkai suggested.

Yukina nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, and make sure to be careful. I would hate to see my new nee-chan hurt."

I stared at the blue-haired girl in complete shock. "Nee-chan?" I repeated, not quite sure how to react. Why would she call me her sister? I wasn't that important. In fact, I wasn't important at all.

"Because sirens are closely related to koorimes," she explained, not bothering to elaborate any more.

"Hmm... I had forgotten about that," Kurama mused, lightly tapping one finger against the side of his glass. "Full sirens can reproduce asexually, just like koorimes, and all full sirens are female."

"Thanks for the lessons on sirens, but Myra needs to get out of here now." Genkai gave me a pointed look.

I easily got the hint, standing up and excusing myself. "I will try my best not to screw up," I promised, hoping that either Hiei would hear or someone would relay the message to him. I didn't want to make the black-haired demon any angrier than he already was.

"Good for you; now, go on," the old lady articulated, jabbing her thumb in the direction of the door. "It's a bad idea to leave a demon alone for long."

Nodding my head in understanding, and my kitten in my arms, I left.

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CotA: Sorry about the delay, minna-san. I'm just now finally adjusting to college. It takes time, really it does. To make up for the delay, I tried to make this chappie long, really I did, but I was just too tired. Of course, this just seems to just be a filler chappie. Any information in here that seems important was a pure mistake on my part. ::shrugs:: Well, the review responses are below, and I hope you enjoyed!

Click: I'll try to update soon, really I will.

Asilin Kheldarson: Myra is slowly coming out of her shell, but it will take a while. She's really not going to have many emotions, and whatever emotions she does have she's not going to express if she can help it. I am glad you like her.

Neolannia: I will update again. Promise. I have a friend who's helping me plan this out, and she really wants me to finish this eventually.

Blaze: Really good? Sugoi! I'm so happy now!

Libi: I don't really care if you try to rush me. It's not like it's going to work. And Myra isn't the type to get into a fight, and if she did, she'd be with everyone else, so I doubt Hiei would save her. He'd leave that work up to the others.

Prettynutter: Thanks!

Kera Stormwing: Myra does usually learn fast... except when it comes to people. She's only used to being beaten and ignored, so she thinks that's what everyone she meets is going to do. Eventually she will come to understand the spirit detectives, but it will take some time. And go ahead and criticize all you want. I don't care. It usually helps me become a better writer. And yes, the sea-green-haired demon girl is stronger than Toguro. Toguro was upper B class, and the demon girl is S class. Unfortunately, Myra's about E class, which is weaker than Hiei was in the very beginning. She's weaker than Kuwabara was in the beginning even. Sad, huh?

Sephiroth: Thank you, and I'm planning on writing more. This story is going to be rather... long, to say the least.

Megami: The kitty was in this one, but for some reason the entire chappie didn't load. ::growls in annoyance:: stupid I hope they choke on their low-fat pretzels.

Raynin: I really, really, really want to keep everyone in character. Stories are always better when no one is OOC.

RL Cassie: I fixed the problem. Relax.

BlackFireGoddess: I'm sorry about taking so long to update, really I am. I didn't mean to. ::cries:: I'm killing my readers!

Katsuko: Yes, a new character, but I'm not telling if she's good or evil. That's mine and sha-chan's secret.

AzureDragoness: You're hooked? Awesome! ::does a happy dance:: Hooking readers is fun! And yes, better late than never. I'll welcome any support, encouragement, or criticism you might offer. And I will try to update soon.

Telephone icecream: I am trying to make my chappies longer, really I am. It's hard when I'm busy, though.

Sei-san: I'm glad the chappie was worth the wait. And I remember that episode with Ruka. That was pretty funny.

Animefreak11: I'm not telling why Kurama blushed. ::grins:: That's a secret.

ThnHorse: Who says Hiei and Myra are getting together? And who says Hiei likes her? It's kinda hard to like Myra as a person, because there isn't much of a person there. However, she's an easy person to respect simply because she SURVIVED all those years of abuse. She didn't commit suicide, she didn't run away until her mother kicked her out, and she somehow escaped all the torture without coming to hate her mother. Ignore the fact that the mother deserves to be hated. And Myra is going to very, very, VERY slowly change, simply because she is around different people, people that she can relax around. Most of her personality will stay the same, but a few things will change.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

I made it to the demon's condo without any problems, picking a spot far enough away that I wouldn't be immediately noticed. Hiei poked his nose into my ear, causing me to reach up and automatically scratch his tiny ears. After earning a loud purr for my actions, I fully focused on the nearby, white, apparently normal condo. No lights were on, and I couldn't hear anything, so I assumed the demon was asleep. I highly doubted that Hiei would have left his watch post if the female had been awake, so he had probably left right after she had fallen asleep.

Bored, I allowed my mind to wander, leaning back against a tree. I briefly mused over why Hiei had not simply looked into the girl's mind to see if she meant any harm. Of course, I really didn't understand his ability to read minds, nor was I sure if it even existed.

Mentally shrugging, sat down on the ground, my form mostly hidden by some bushes. Hiei climbed down into my lap, and we spent the rest of the night in that exact position.

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The morning came soon enough, the sun slowly rising and casting its yellow light over everything. I stood up, stretching and enjoying the warmth. After taking a deep breath, I put Hiei on my shoulder, letting him rub his face all over my cheek and ear. He seemed happy enough, even though we had spent the night outside.

"Cheerful thing, aren't you?" I asked him, lightly running a finger down the center of his nose. In response, the kitten sneezed and bumped my hand with his head almost in a form of protest.

Right then, the demon female I was spying on walked out of the condo, dressed in a white blouse and a white skirt. Her sea-green tresses flowed down just past her butt, the nearly curly hair swaying with every movement she made. A simple, white briefcase hung from one shoulder by a pure white strap. When the briefcase started swinging, she placed a small, delicate hand on top of it. Her heart-shaped face turned from side to side as she walked, a single pearl hanging from silver threads decorated the center of her forehead. Her blue orbs sparkled with happiness, and her smile echoed her eyes.

I stepped out of my hiding place and began following her. Hiei yowled in protest, sounding less than pleased with what was going on. The sound was loud enough to draw attention... namely the demon's attention. She stopped walking the instant Hiei made another noise.

The high-powered demon turned around and looked at me, sky-blue eyes sparkling with curiosity. She looked friendly enough, especially when she smiled.

"It's nice to see one of the spies had the courage to actually approach me," she stated, tone cheerful. "I'm Princess Zoyi." She stuck out her hand, obviously wanting me to shake it.

"Myra," I replied softly, my movements hesitant as I grasped her hand and shook it up and down. Then, I released it, not wanting to anger her.

"Now, let's go get some breakfast. I'm hungry, as you must be after watching over me most of the night." Grinning, she gestured for me to follow her. She walked briskly, her steps having a slight bounce to them. She certainly didn't act like a threat to ningenkai.

"You have a cute kitty," she said when I obeyed her request to walk beside her. "What's his name?"

"Hiei," I answered simply, scratching the tiny creature's ears when he perked up. It seemed he already recognized his name and when people were talking about him.

"Good name. Where'd you get it?" Zoyi wanted to know, linking her fingers behind her head. "A friend? A book?"

"...Someone I know." I wasn't sure how to describe Hiei. He was someone who helped me train, who I trained, and who was almost always watching me.

"Has he spied on me?" she questioned, glancing over at me, her manner relaxed. She really didn't seem bothered by the fact that complete strangers had been watching her. Definitely interesting.

I nodded my head. "Yes ma'am."

"Alright. So he was the sneaky fire demon with a small sense of ice mixed in." The princess grinned. "And the other one felt like Youko. He was definitely a fox spirit, and no fox spirit would _ever_ be named Hiei. They're too picky, too full of themselves."

"Youko?" I repeated, blinking.

Zoyi stopped walking and gave me her fully attention, her eyes fixated on me. "You've heard that name before, haven't you?" She didn't even give me a chance to answer before she continued. "How do you know him? How is he still alive? Why is he different?"

"Kurama mentioned him. He said, 'Even my Youko side was ensnared when you sang.'" I took Hiei off my shoulder and cradled him against my chest, the action comforting. "I don't know the answers to your other questions."

"Hmmm..." She lightly tapped her index finger against her full, pink lips. "Yes, that makes sense. Of course Youko would have done that." Smiling, she began walking again. "Alright, let's go."

Feeling rather confused, I followed her, still cradling Hiei. He didn't seem to mind Zoyi—he hadn't hissed at her once—so I figured she was all right. Besides, she didn't act like she meant any harm. Also, I felt safe around her. I had the feeling that not only would she not hurt me, but she would protect me as well. I don't know how or why I felt that way, but I did.

As I walked beside Zoyi, she began skipping. "I like you," she stated, grinning. "You don't overwhelm me with emotions." She must have sensed my confusion, because she began to explain. "I'm an empath, so I can sense other people's emotions. Usually, people have so many strong emotions that I have to put up a strong mental barrier to block most of it out. With you, it's different. I don't have to put up a barrier." She sighed happily. "Isn't it great?!"

I nodded my head, hoping it was the correct response. "Yes, ma'am."

The princess gently shook her head. "You are a strange girl." With a shrug, she led me into a small café, the same one that I had first seen her in. She led me to a table and proceeded to order food for the both of us, more telling me than asking me if I'd like a cinnamon roll and orange juice.

After the food arrived, Zoyi gave me a smile sure to win over anyone to her side, no matter how stubborn the other person might be. "I bet you have plenty of questions for me," she stated, beginning to spread cream cheese all over one of her bagel halves. "After all, you were spying on me for a reason." I nodded my head. "Well then, instead of making you ask me questions, I'm just going to tell you what you probably want to know."

"Yes, ma'am."

"It was about a week ago when a messenger from King Yama came to see me... or my family, at least. He wanted to see if I was eligible for marriage." She shook her head, obviously displeased with such an action. "I was allowed to make a deal with King Yama. We would play a game, a rare game which princesses usually have no knowledge of." She winked, letting me know that she was one of the few princesses who did. "If I won the game, then I would be allowed to go to ningenkai. If I lost, I would marry him."

I blinked. Zoyi was quite smart, especially since she had duped a King, and she had done it all subtlety. The only thing I wanted to know was why King Yama would seek out her hand.

The princess must have felt my slight confusion, because she continued. "It was a smart move. I used to live in one of the lowest levels of Makai, and a marriage with me would have won him plenty of land. My family would have gained the favor of the king of Reikai, as well as a few other perks." She delicately ran a hand through her hair, easily bringing everyone's eyes to her; I shrunk in on myself a little, uncomfortable being near the center of attention.

"It'll be okay." Zoyi patted my hand, the gesture nonchalant but still comforting. "Now, where was I?" She paused for a moment. "Yes, well, I won the game, and here I am. I believe King Yama was positive that he'd win the game and not me, but I obviously did." She smiled, the expression a mixture of innocence and mischief.

I nodded my head in acknowledgement, scratching Hiei's ears. She seemed perfectly honest, and what she had said made sense, strangely enough. King Yama, who I assumed was the king of Reikai, obviously had the power to grant her entrance into ningenkai.

I suddenly sensed familiar eyes on me, although I didn't turn around to look for the owner of the eyes. It wasn't like I'd be able to spot him. Hiei was just too good at hiding from me; that, or he was too fast. Either one worked.

The princess twisted in her chair, eyes darting around her surroundings. "Hiei's here, isn't he? I can sense his emotions." She frowned slightly. "He feels… angry. How annoying. I have to create an even stronger barrier than normal with him."

I sunk down into the chair as far as I could, curling up into a tiny ball without hurting the kitten. I was scared. For some reason, Hiei was angry, and he was probably angry with me. I knew better than to run, although my body was screaming at me to do so. I deserved to be punished for whatever it was that I had done. Hiei had a right to hurt me.

_You messed up,_ a voice in my head said that sounded exactly like Hiei. _What do you think you're doing?_

I bowed my head, unsure of what was going on. Was I going insane? Or was I really hearing Hiei talking in my head? After a moment of contemplation, I mentally shrugged it off. It really didn't matter why I was hearing the voice. All that mattered was it was right. I had messed up... although I wasn't quite sure how.

A growl of annoyance echoed inside my skull, and I curled into the smallest ball I could manage without attracting attention to myself in such a public place.

Zoyi patted my hand again, eyes soft until she glanced away from me. "Don't worry. No one's going to hurt you." Her eyes had taken on a harsh look, which I suddenly felt probably matched the look in Hiei's eyes right now.

"Yes, ma'am," I humbly replied.

Then, I saw the last person I wanted to see. I saw such angry eyes, such hateful eyes. I felt pure fear wash over me in a huge tidal wave, leaving nothing behind. I couldn't even think the fear was so bad. It had been ages since I had been so afraid, so many years. I suddenly realized that I had become used to not being hit, however much I expected it at times. I didn't want to be beat anymore for my mistakes. I didn't want to be hurt again.

So, I curled into a small ball and prayed that Zoyi would protect me from the person who hated me the most in the entire world.

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CotA: I'm so sorry I took so long, minna-san. I've been dealing with huge writer's blocks as well as school and everything else. I'm hoping that I'll be able to update again soon, but I can't promise anything. Just please be patient with me. ::bows:: I humbly ask for your forgiveness.

Sess-chan: ::scowls:: Such a weak attitude you present. You should not act so pathetic.

Zebez: Oh, leave her alone. She's tired. ::draws CotA into a tight hug:: Besides, as long as she's acting pathetic, I get to help protect her and make her feel better. ::grins:: And then maybe she'll get rid of you and keep me... maybe even let me have some fun with her.

Sess-chan: Release the female before I am forced to humiliate you. This Sesshoumaru will not tolerate such despicable behavior.

Kali: _'How annoying.'_ ::throws a few fireballs::

Sess-chan, CotA, and Zebez: ::cough up smoke::

CotA: Kali, watch where you're throwing those!!! ::turns to the readers:: Please occupy yourselves elsewhere for the duration of the rest of the day. I have other things, which I seem to need to take care of. The review responses are below.

Misunderstoodgrl: I tried really hard to make Myra believable, mainly because I've never really made a character like here. I'm glad you like this story. And I'm not sure about killing the mother. I might need her later. ::shrugs:: I tend to be spontaneous, so yeah… I like to leave my options open.

Click: ::laughs:: I'll try to update soon.

Anasazi Darkmoon: First off, nice name. I like it a lot. And yes, Myra does have a small spark somewhere. I'm slowly trying to fan it. Yes, the little kitten is cute. I love kittens, especially really small ones. ::smiles:: And I want to find one just like little Hiei for myself someday.

RL Cassie: ::sighs:: First of all, your "cute" puppy-dog eyes don't work on me. Second, I will continue to update… eventually.

Megami: Hiei/Myra-ness? ::laughs:: For some reason, I found that funny. ::shrugs:: And I'm glad you think they're cute.

Anna30151: ::laughs:: Excited, aren't you?

Sazuka Chan: ::giggles:: So you think you know who Myra's gonna end up with, huh? Well, next time we talk online, if you promise not to tell, I'll fill you in on a few more details. And don't worry about reviewing in a timely manner.

Raynin: Yoki is the power that yokai use. Humans use reiki. There's also Sengoki, I believe, which is holy power. ::laughs:: And you don't need to feel embarrassed. Seriously. I may be older, but I probably don't act more mature than you.

Prettynutter: I'm happy too. I'm not sure how long you'll have to wait though…

DarknessDragonsKitty: ::laughs:: I'm happy that you love my work, and yes, Myra does have confidence issues. I'm not sure if Hiei's gonna help with that, but I can assure you that I plan to fix Myra at least a little bit. After all, I am the one that broke her down so much.

Asilin Kheldarson: sehr gut? What does that mean? I only know English, some Spanish, and some Japanese. Urusai means shut up in Japanese.

AzureDragoness: ::laughs:: I'm sure your dance wasn't that pathetic. And yes, I did update, and yes, there will be more. This is going to be a very long story, I can promise you that.

AnneMarieh: I'm not telling why it's hard for Hiei to do well in his training. It could be because he's a male koorime, it could be because he's not used to females trying to attract him, and it could be because he's so short. ::laughs:: Actually, I think Hiei does take the blame upon himself. He does have that honor code, after all.

Raven121: I usually don't work a whole lot with character development, which is one reason this fic is a challenge for me. ::smiles:: I'm happy you like it and approve of Myra. Other reviews have stated that they find her annoying. ::shrugs::

ChickenCherries: And I'm back again now. And thanks for your support. ::hugs::

Animefreak11: ::laughs:: Such a funny review. College is pretty interesting for me. Now that I finally got the hang of it, my schedule gets to change and I get totally different classes and teachers. ::sighs:: High school was easier, but college is more fun.

BlackFireGoddess: ::winces:: I'm sorry for taking so long to update again. And I'm glad you like the plotline… whatever little there is of it. ::smiles:: And I leave you in suspense? How funny! ::laughs::


	13. Chapter 13

All the blood had definitely drained out of my face by the time my mother had walked past me to a back table. Even with her happy façade going, she terrified me. She was a ticking bomb, and I mentally shivered in fear. Oh dear Kami, if she realized that I was still alive, she'd want to kill me. I was doomed, doomed to a lifetime of eternal torment in nothingness because neither heaven nor hell would want me. Actually, terrified was an understatement. I was petrified in pure, undiluted fear.

"It'll be alright," Zoyi said, voice soft and soothing. "Nothing bad is going to happen to you."

Of course, at that time, Hiei decided to walk into the café and take a seat beside me, causing my kitten to hiss and take a swipe at the male demon with his claws. A quick glare from the black-clad male solved the hissing and clawing problem, but little Hiei kept up a small rumble in the back of his throat, voicing his displeasure. "Stop quivering. It'll only attract attention," he quietly snapped, red eyes full of anger. I had made him angry again.

'_No, you didn't,' _I heard his voice growl in my mind. _'Now stop acting so pathetic. It's annoying.' _

After taking a deep breath, I nodded my head. I would try my best to do what he asked, although I was curious as to what had aroused his anger. If it hadn't been me, then what had it been? I mentally shook my head in confusion. Nothing made sense to me, which was nothing new.

Maybe he was angry with Zoyi, but then again, that didn't make much sense. She hadn't done a thing wrong yet. The princess was harmless enough in my pathetic opinion. It was possible that he was unhappy with my kitten, but then, if he wanted to, he could easily get rid of little Hiei. Besides, I didn't think little Hiei had annoyed big Hiei that much.

"Why are you so scared?" the green-haired girl inquired, tone low and quiet, her eyes flicking over to Hiei.

I slightly shook my head, my gaze wandering to where my mother sat. I almost died from fright when her eyes met mine for the barest fraction of a second. Nothing in the world was scarier than my mother. I had destroyed most of my fear a long time ago, but my time at Genkai's shrine had helped me recover all of it and more.

"Ah… I see," Zoyi replied, an evil glint suddenly appearing in her eyes. She quietly sipped her drink for a moment, obviously planning something.

Suddenly, the princess's attention shifted to the door, her sky-blue orbs widening. "Oh glory… that's Youko now?" she whispered, voice so soft only I could hear. Then, her amazement was replaced with a grin of pure mischief. Something had pleased her, and now she was going to do something… I just wasn't sure what.

I turned my head to see Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara walk up to the table. Kurama was still in his school uniform, although Yusuke and Kuwabara had changed into jeans and shirts. For the briefest moment I saw a hint of something flash in Kurama's eyes, the green suddenly holding a tinge of gold.

"I see that Myra misunderstood her directions," Kurama said softly as he sat down next to Hiei, tone not unkind, his eyes back to normal. "Don't worry though. There was no harm done." Had he noticed my fear? Maybe.

Kuwabara and Yusuke opted to pull up chairs, Yusuke sitting in it backwards, arms crossed on the back of the chair. "This isn't fair. I never got a chance to watch her. I could've seen something interesting," the raven-haired boy complained, sounding as if he had been deeply hurt. Did I need to apologize? Well, it couldn't hurt.

"Sorry, Yusuke." While Hiei wasn't angry with me, Yusuke seemed to be. I didn't want anyone to hurt me, although I probably did deserve it.

The carrottop glared at his friend. "What would Keiko say if she had heard that?" he almost shouted as he slammed his fist into the top of Yusuke's head, obviously unhappy with his friend's last statement. Then, he turned to me. "And don't apologize to that pervert. He doesn't deserve it."

"Yes, sir." I nodded my head in understanding.

"I can stand up for myself," Zoyi stated calmly, a strange grin on her face. "It's not like I can't defeat him in one-on-one combat, and I am a princess."

After a few exclamations of amazement and shock from Yusuke and Kuwabara, as well as a few glares from the few other people in the café, the conversation continued on, just more quiet than before. The boys asked a few questions, mainly to find out how the princess's name, how she had entered the ningenkai, and if she was planning on causing any trouble. She told them a much shorter version of what she had told me, and then looked at Kurama.

Zoyi smiled, the evil glint in her eyes returning. "Youko, would you be a dear and get everyone drinks for me?" She handed him some money. "Thank you."

Kurama sat there for a moment and then rose, going to do what she had said. I blinked in surprise, unsure over why she hadn't asked me. Wasn't I the one who was supposed to be ordered around? Kurama was more important than me, after all.

When Kurama returned and handed Zoyi her change, she blinked. "How rude. You forgot the straws."

"Since when do we need straws?" Yusuke wanted to know, but he was ignored by both Zoyi and Kurama.

"You forgot to specify that you wished for them as well," the redhead replied, setting the drinks down. His eyes glanced over at the princess and then back down at the table. There was a small glint of annoyance in his eyes, as if her condescending nature was bothering him.

"A true gentleman would have retrieved them without my asking for them," Zoyi said, voice deceptively sweet. "You should know that, Youko."

"I go by Kurama now," he stated calmly.

"You were Youko once, were you not?" she inquired, eyes fixed on him.

Kurama nodded his head. "Yes, but I do not use that name anymore."

"Well, to me, you're still Youko." Zoyi smiled and then turned to me. "Why haven't you touched your cinnamon roll or your drink?"

"Sorry, ma'am." I bowed my head, reinforcing the apology, placing my left hand on Hiei to scratch his ears as I took a sip of my drink to make up for my mistake. I wasn't used to people buying things for me; it was so strange. But then, Zoyi was so different.

She waved it off as Kurama walked off, probably to retrieve some straws. "Just eat," she ordered. "I don't want that to go to waste."

"Geez, bossy much?" Yusuke inquired rudely.

Zoyi looked at him. "I'm a princess," she stated simply, as if she expected her high station to explain everything. Of course, it did explain a lot. She was used to people obeying her, tending to her every whim. I highly doubted anyone complained to her no matter what she did.

"Big deal," the raven-haired boy retorted. "You're-"

Kuwabara quickly shut up his friend. "Don't you remember what Koenma said?" he almost shouted.

Yusuke sunk down in his chair a little, muttering in annoyance but conceding to the carrot top's logic. Beside me, Hiei snorted softly. I turned my head to look at him, curious as to why he had done such a thing, but he didn't answer either out loud or in my mind.

Kurama came back with straws, set them down on the table, and took his place by Hiei. "I brought you some straws, as you wished. I take it there is nothing else you wanted?"

Zoyi shook her head. "No, not at the moment, but later, I'm sure there will be."

"Geez, demanding b-" Once again, Yusuke found himself cut off but by Kurama this time.

Right at that moment, my mother walked by, even stopping at our table. I once again felt the blood drain from my face and I curled in on myself, careful not to hurt little Hiei, scared out of my mind. She looked right at me, her cold, cruel eyes staring into mine.

Then, she smiled slightly. "You should go home. You don't want to make others sick, now do you?" With that said, she began to walk off.

Zoyi patted my hand, eyes dangerous as she glared at my mother's retreating back. "What should I do?" she mused quietly.

"Please, don't," I begged her. I didn't want her to anger my mother, entice her to unleash her bottomless fury. I remembered all the times my mother had beat me. She had thrown me down the stairs, slammed a hot iron down on my hand, and even locked me a closet for hours on end. She had threatened to kill me so many times… more times than I could possibly count. Every time I became sick and threw up, she made me eat my vomit and clean up what I couldn't eat.

I vaguely heard a rustle of clothing next to me and then a hushed whisper. "It's against the law for demons to kill humans, Hiei." The voice belonged to Kurama.

Zoyi grinned. "I know what to do." She pointed at the floor in front of my mother, and then suddenly, my mother tripped over nothing, spilling some kind of hot drink over herself and landing face-first on the hard floor.

My mother quickly stood up, cursing loudly, an obscenely large number of explicatives shooting out of her mouth as she stormed out of the café. She was beyond furious right now, but she hadn't turned on me. She hadn't come over and hit me for her pain. I was safe, safe from her. Zoyi had caused my mother pain and made it so my mother couldn't turn against me.

Yusuke blinked. "Who was that?" he wanted to know, pointing at the door my mother had just gone out of.

"Jiloka, my mother," I answered, voice soft and trembling. I began petting little Hiei for comfort, and he stopped growling at my man next to me in favor of purring.

Everyone except for Hiei expressed his or her surprise. Zoyi's eyes widened as she looked at me; Kurama's mouth became slightly slack as she glanced from me to the door. Kuwabara's mouth dropped open and then closed, acting like a fish.

Yusuke decided to be the vocal one of the group. "That bitch is your mother?"

* * *

CotA: Sorry about taking so long with this chapter. I don't have a clue when the next one will be out, but I'm hoping that I can make it soon. Well, the review responses are below, but before I get to those, I have a question for everyone. I've written about two chapters of the Prequel to Time. Would anyone like me to post those two chapters? I can't promise to update the prequel any time soon, but I can post what I have done. I'll be taking a vote, so tell me what you want me to do.

Angel: I'll try my best to keep it up.

AnneMarieh: I never said that Hiei likes Myra, and I'm not sure if she's too passive for him or not. ::shrugs:: And I'm glad you like Zoyi. She's a friend's character.

punk101dess: Yes, it was her mother. I would like to update once a week, but that just doesn't seem to happen. I'm in college, and the majority of my classes are art, therefore it's a bit difficult to write in, and then I have homework and so many other things to do on top of a writer's block. So, please, try to be a little understanding, if you can.

cherryblossoms21: Here's the new chapter, just like you wanted.

Pickles: Updation? I've never heard that one before. ::laughs:: And I will continue. I have big ideas for this story.

Raynin: ::shrugs:: The yoki thing can be confusing, but I tend to watch YYH in Japanese, so it's not as confusing to me. I'm used to hearing it.

Hiei'sKitten: ::laughs:: I have a really bad habit of using cliffies in almost every chapter. I'm not sure why though. ::shrugs:: And thank you for the inspiration waves. They took a while to reach me, but they did get here. ::grins::

AzureDragoness: I'm sorry that I took so long, although I was hoping to update sooner than this. ::sighs:: Perhaps I'll be able to update sooner this time. ::crosses fingers::

misundersoodgrl: I'll try to update soon.

Raven121: I'm happy you didn't forget about this story. ::smiles:: Especially I don't plan to ever leave this story alone until it's finished, and that will probably be a while.

Anasazi Darkmoon: I'm happy I updated too. Hiei and Zoyi might have a showdown sometime. I'm not sure yet, but I do know that things with Zoyi are going to be interesting.

Sazuka Chan: lol. Thanks. I'll probably run some ideas past you… once I get some.

Asilin Kheldarson: Thanks for the translation. I only speak some Spanish and a little bit of Japanese. And yes, Hiei meant that Myra messed up by going up to the princess and talking to her.

animefreak11: I would hate to have to do a school year over again. I'd be bored out of my mind, needless to say. And I'm at Truman. I'll try to update soon. Really, I will.


	14. Chapter 14

I stared at the table for a moment before replying to Yusuke. "That is how she normally acts around people."

"Geez, if that's how she acts around strangers, how did she act around her family?" Kuwabara asked, looking at the door my mother had just left through.

Keeping my head down, I pressed my lips together. Memories flashed through my mind again, making me feel cold. I remembered pain and hatred, cold nights when I had to sleep outside in the snow and long hours of work with little food. Kitty Hiei must have sensed how I felt, because he began purring and licking the cinnamon roll icing off of my fingers. Somehow this banished the memories back some, making me feel a little better.

"Hn. I've wasted enough time here," big Hiei stated, getting up and leaving. I got the distinct impression he was tired of dealing with people. He probably wanted some peace and quiet again. Of course, that sounded good to me too.

Zoyi glanced at a clock. "It seems that I need to head off to school. I'll be late if I don't hurry. Youko, will you be a dear and clean up all this? Thank you." She turned to me and smiled as Kurama stared at her before shaking his head and doing as she asked. What made her think she could order him around, I didn't know, but it probably had something to do with the fact that she was a princess. "It's nice to feel you in a better mood than earlier. Fear is one of the worst emotions; it's the hardest to block."

I nodded my head, petting little Hiei. The princess had a rather unique personality, but I didn't have a problem with that. In fact, her attitude was interesting, and I knew that she liked my lack of emotions. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to feel everyone's emotions, but I figured that it couldn't be pleasant.

We didn't spend much more time in the café. Zoyi stayed there just long enough to get directions to Genkai's temple, promising to visit after school, because she refused to miss even a minute of her interesting education. So, the rest of the group, including myself, got on a bus and went back to Genkai's.

Although I hadn't realized it earlier with all the excitement, I was exhausted. It took all my concentration just to keep from falling asleep on the bus, even as bumpy as the ride was. Little Hiei kept me company, purring when I petted him, and meowing pitifully when I stopped.

I was thankfully when we finally reached Genkai's. I practically stumbled into the shrine, and Genkai greeted me with nothing less than an order to go to bed and sleep… for at least nine hours. I obeyed her, relieved that she hadn't had any work for me to do. My mother had often had me stay up all night, go to school the next day, and do work once I got home. It had been rare for me to get a full night of rest with her.

Little Hiei in my arms, I collapsed onto my bed, curling up under the covers with Hiei in my arms for comfort. I was tired enough that the fear my mother had caused was nothing more than static in the background. After yawning a few times, I fell into a deep sleep, my kitten cuddled up against my stomach and sleeping with me.

--------------------

The next thing I knew I woke up screaming, a sense of dread filling me. I could still taste the non-existent blood that had been in my mouth during the dream. I felt bruised all over, and my scalp ached where I could still feel my mother pulling out my hair, saying it was too good for me.

"Are you okay?" a quiet, alto voice asked.

I turned my head, still shaking from my nightmare. I hadn't had a dream like that in months, although I knew what had caused it: seeing my mother again.

"I'm fine," I told Kurama, my voice quiet as well. He must have woken me up from my dream, because I could faintly recall my shoulder being gently shaken and someone calling out my name.

His green eyes held a sad expression. "Are you sure?" he questioned as he reached out towards me. I instantly wanted to flinch, but I held perfectly still as he merely brushed my strangely wet cheek with his hand. He was wiping away tears. I hadn't even realized that I had been crying, and I was still crying, somehow.

I reached up and touched my own cheek, my fingertips coming away damp. I hadn't cried in years, so why would I cry now? My mother hadn't been able to make me cry since I was five or six, so why now? I stared at my hand, willing the dampness to vanish all on its own. I couldn't cry, not now. Mother had always beaten me when I had cried, saying that crying was a weakness and annoying.

"It will be alright," the redhead continued, voice calm and soothing. He was trying to comfort me, and it was working.

I looked at him again, my tears ceasing to flow. On his face I saw compassion, and in his eyes I saw comfort and friendship. I hadn't seen that expression in someone's eyes in years. "Why?" I inquired softly, almost afraid to ask. "Why are you being so nice?"

"Because you deserve it after going through so much." Kurama patted my shoulder for the briefest moment, making little Hiei growl protectively. The redhead ignored the cat. "I take it you were having a nightmare that included your mother?"

Even though he had asked, I knew he wouldn't demand an answer. He was extending his hand in friendship, just like Zoyi had done. I was worthless, but two people today had been kind to me. Both Zoyi and Kurama were welcoming me with open arms, accepting my past. Perhaps Zoyi and Kurama didn't know the details, but if Kurama had guessed the truth, then so had the princess.

I nodded my head, fresh tears coming to my eyes. The tears weren't from fear or horror. They were because of Kurama's and Zoyi's kindness to me, especially Kurama's. I finally understood why people treasured their friends so much. No one could hurt you if you were alone, but no one would accept you either. Friends accepted you and offered you help when you needed it.

"Thank you." I could feel the corners of my mouth twitch from my efforts to smile at him.

The redhead seemed to have noticed what I was trying to do and smiled ever so gently at me. "If you continue to have nightmares, tell me. I can give you something to drink to keep your dreams peaceful." His eyes glanced over at the window, a mischievous look in his eyes, but when he looked back at me, the expression was replaced with concern. "Do you think you'll be able to go back to sleep? Or do you want something to help you relax?"

I shook my head. "I'll be fine," I replied, wiping away my tears. I could easily see why Zoyi liked Kurama so much; he was sweet, caring, and special. "Thank you." One last tear leaked out of the corner of one of my eyes, and the redhead gently brushed it away.

"Alright. Sweet dreams." He stood up and walked out the door, shutting it behind him.

Little Hiei quieted down, falling back asleep almost instantly. As for me, I glanced out the window, feeling the familiar eyes on me. It seemed that Hiei was still watching me, and that familiar feeling made me relax. Snuggling back underneath the covers, I whispered another 'thank you' and then fell asleep again. Interestingly enough, unlike before, no nightmares greeted me… just pleasant dreams of new friends and my guardian angel Hiei.

* * *

AN: Yes, this is short, but I'm planning out the next chapter already. This is just to let people know that I'm still writing in this story. The next update will be... hopefully soon.


	15. Chapter 15

Bring Me to Life

Chapter Fifteen

When I woke up, it was evening, and my stomach growled. Little Hiei was meowing pitifully, which was probably what had awakened me. The poor kitty was most likely hungry too; at least, that was the impression I was getting from him as he stared at me with his red eyes from his place on my chest.

"Alright. Let me get up and I'll find some food for you," I told him, and he stopped meowing and even jumped off me. He continued to stare, watching me closely as I slowly sat up. His tail twitched impatiently as he meowed again, still demanding food.

A knock at the door shifted my attention from my cat to the outside world. "Yes?" I called out softly.

The door opened, and Kurama entered the room, a tray of food in his hands. "Good. You're awake. I prepared some food for you and little Hiei. He's been guarding you from everyone while you slept." He smiled. "Do you think you're up to eating?"

My stomach growled, and I felt a little embarrassed. "Yes, sir."

The redhead brought the tray over and set it on my lap. "There's no need to be so formal around me. Kurama will work just fine."

"Alright… Kurama." I picked up the chopsticks and slowly began to eat the rice and chicken that he had brought to me. Little Hiei devoured his bowl of milk and the bits of chicken that were off to the side, not even bothering to growl at Kurama. He did eye the redhead warily though.

He smiled, the look in his eyes pleasant. "Now, Genkai wants to know if you think you're up to training with us after you've finished eating. Supposedly without constant training we'll lose all the progress we've made."

I suddenly got the impression from Kurama that he didn't think he had to worry about his ability to resist me regressing any. Of course, I was incredibly weak, so I doubted that anyone had to worry about resisting me. The only reason that they were having problems now was because they weren't used to having to deal with a siren. Soon enough I would no longer be a cause for concern for any of them, including Hiei. Surely it wouldn't take too long for them to no longer view me as a threat.

"I'm up to it," I replied as I stopped eating for a moment. "Do you know how much longer we'll have to train?"

Kurama turned thoughtful. "So the training's effects become permanent, I would think maybe two to three months."

I mused over that for a moment as little Hiei finished off his food. What would they do with me after I was done training with them? Koenma had said that I would get to help them save people, but when I compared my abilities to theirs, I felt so pathetic and small. I knew that all of them could fight, could defend themselves. That was more than I could say. I was still learning the basics of simple punches and kicks.

"Come on out whenever you're ready then. Everyone will be outside." He stood up, movements graceful. As he opened the door to leave, I spoke up.

"Kurama?"

"What is it?" He turned around, looking at me. His eyes were kind, as always. I didn't know what I had done to deserve him as a friend, but I thanked Kami that I had.

I tried to smile but couldn't quite do it. Kurama seemed to notice my effort thought and appreciated it as well, because he smiled back. For him, I promised myself that I would keep on trying to smile. "Thank you, for everything."

"You're welcome," Kurama responded. "Now, finish your food." Then, he left.

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Practice seemed to go on as normal. Kurama was able to fully resist me for over an hour, as was Yusuke. Kuwabara didn't appear even once, although I had to keep taking breaks for Hiei's sake. While everyone else seemed to get better at resisting me, Hiei seemed to become worse. Why it was only him, I didn't know, but I did hope that it wasn't my fault. He hopefully wouldn't beat me if I was the reason he couldn't keep away from me while I sang. Although, considering his actions around me, and how he had never beat me before, perhaps he wouldn't hit me, even if it was my fault. Maybe he was kind like Kurama was, just in a different way.

Near the end of the second hour, as I was singing along with the radio still, Kurama finally began to approach me, green eyes glazed over. I kept on singing, hoping that he would shake off the hold my song had over him, but he didn't. He was released from the song's hold, but not by his own doing.

I heard laughing, loud, joyous laughing, so I stopped singing. Standing up and turning around, I saw Zoyi standing behind him, eyes on Kurama as she continued to giggle.

"That was probably the most amusing thing I have seen in decades. The great and mighty Youko, the best thief of all Makai, brought down low by a siren," the princess said, blue eyes sparkling with mirth. "Ah, what I wouldn't give to see that again."

"I'm only a half siren," I replied softly as Kurama came out of the daze.

"Oh, that's even better!" She clapped her hands before skipping over to the redhead's side. "You are the last person I expected to be ensnared by such an old trick." She patted his cheek. "But I must say, it was quite fun to watch." Leaving Kurama alone, she walked back over to where I was. "Now, I think it's time to give poor Hiei a short break from your singing. Although he is fast and strong, I have a feeling he's probably a little tired."

I looked up at her as she gently scratched little Hiei behind the ears. "My singing isn't that powerful."

"Oh, sure it is." Zoyi smiled at me. "Don't be so hard on yourself." She turned back to look at Kurama. "Youko, would you be a dear and gather everyone together. If I am required to explain my presence in ningenkai, I would like to do so only once. Get Koenma here too, if you can. He'll want to know what his daddy was up to, and I don't want him to continue to mistrust me. It'll be hard to stay in ningenkai if he does. Now, go on." She waved him off as if he was her servant.

I sat there quietly, unsure of what to do as Kurama left, not looking too thrilled with the visitor. The princess knew how to take charge, but then, she was royalty, so I assume it was expected of her to order servants around. She was probably much, much older than me, so she might have even ran a household. I didn't know, so I figured it would be best not to say a word.

"Now, how about you take me inside and let me meet the owner of this lovely shrine?" Zoyi suggested, although it sounded very much like an order, albeit a kind one. "I'd like to meet her."

"Yes, ma'am." I stood up, cradling little Hiei. "I think she's this way."

"Good." Zoyi continued to chat as I led her through the shrine to the training room. "It's really quite nice here. It'd even be peaceful if the guys left," she said, grinning. "And I hope Youko finds Koenma soon. I don't feel like waiting too long."

I paused, looking back at her. "You like Kurama, don't you?" I asked softly, watching her carefully for any signs that she was angry with me.

Instead of looking mad, she smiled softly at me. "Yes, I do. You are rather observant," she replied. "I'll have to be careful around you if I want to keep something a secret." Then, she went back to rambling, a grin on her face as if I'd never said anything.

I didn't really pay attention to what she was saying; I didn't think she really cared if I listened or not. It almost seemed like she was trying to make me feel more comfortable, and I did appreciate the effort she was putting into it. She didn't need to, but it was nice, so I kept quiet and let her talk.

We found Genkai in the training room, sitting on a mat and meditating. She didn't even open her eyes when we walked in. "Have a seat. You'll be here a while explaining things to the dimwits, so you might as well get comfortable," Genkai stated blandly and then continued in a suffering tone. "It's going to be a long day."

"I like you already, Genkai. You're blunt," Zoyi replied, sitting down in front of the woman.

"And so are you," the elderly woman replied. "I think we'll get along fine." She paused. "And you're not as powerful as Koenma claimed." How did she know how powerful Zoyi was? Maybe Genkai could sense it; she was powerful, and she did live in a shrine. She also dealt with demons on a semi-regular basis, if her familiarity with Kurama and Hiei could be taken as evidence.

The princess blinked a few times. "Oh? This I have got to hear. What stupid assumption did Koenma make? He must be as bad as his father, and his father is an idiot."

"He said that you were twenty or thirty times more powerful than Toguro," Genkai replied.

"I'm afraid that this Toguro isn't important enough for me to know." The princess delicately examined her fingernails, appearing to be uninterested in the man named Toguro. Whether it was because she didn't like the idea that she didn't know something, or it was simply because she was a princess and Toguro hadn't been high enough in the hierarchy to meet her, I was unsure. I did know that she didn't seem to care about who he was or how powerful he had been.

The old lady didn't even pause in her response. "He was a little bit more powerful than Youko."

Zoyi's eyes went wide and then she started to laugh. "Oh my… he certainly is foolish. The only one that powerful is King Raizen, and that was centuries ago before he went on his non-human diet." She giggled. "I am maybe twice as strong as Youko right now. Three times at most."

I blinked. It seemed that Koenma had been horribly wrong and caused everyone to worry a little bit too much. I wasn't sure if he had purposely lied to us to make us take care, or if he had obtained incorrect information. Whichever it was, Koenma would be surprised that Zoyi was being so kind to us.

"I wonder how embarrassed he'll be when he finds out how wrong he was?" the princess wondered.

Genkai smirked. "We'll find out soon enough. Here they come."

Yusuke made his way into the room rather loudly, followed by Kuwabara. The two were arguing, almost on the verge of fighting, but I couldn't tell over what. Maybe they just enjoyed fighting.

"Sit down and shut up," Genkai snapped. "I'm not in the mood to deal with your punk attitudes."

"Geez, grumpy much?" he griped, sitting cross-legged on the floor. He frowned, looking annoyed. "And how much longer are we going to have to train with Myra? I'm tired of being stuck here every spare moment."

The old woman snorted. "It'll be years before you're done training."

"What! That can't be right!" Yusuke protested.

Kuwabara nodded his agreement. "Yeah, Kurama told us it'd only be a few more months."

"He overestimates you; I do not," she replied as Zoyi giggled.

Stifling her laughter, the princess explained. "Myra is only a half siren, which is why you can learn to resist her. If she were a full siren, it'd be impossible. Still, her power is nothing to laugh at," she stated. "A full siren draws a male to her by promising them his heart's greatest desire, but a half siren can only draw someone to her if the person is attracted to her. It may only be a subconscious attraction that her voice uses, but it does use it nonetheless. For example, demons will find her more attractive than humans naturally, mainly because her looks are considered much more desirable among demons. They like long, brightly colored hair. Her height also helps… male demons like to feel more powerful than the female."

"So that's why we're training?" Yusuke raised an eyebrow.

Koenma entered the room, followed by Kurama. "No, Yusuke," he answered. "It's because Myra's main weapon is her voice. Her powers over water are weak, and will probably only work when she is on the verge of death. If you are to fight alongside her, you must be able to operate as if she is not singing at all."

"It also helps that you have a girl… Keiko, I believe her name is," Zoyi added. "Love is another way to counteract her voice, although it will never work fully. Love helps immensely, but it can never be rid of the basic hormones which tell you that certain girls are pretty or desirable."

"That explains much," Kurama said quietly, although the princess didn't even acknowledge him.

Kuwabara's smile practically reached from ear to ear. "I must love Yukina more than you love Keiko," he taunted the raven-haired spirit dectective. "That, or I'm just better than you. I can resist her voice almost perfectly."

"Shut up, Kuwabara," Yusuke snapped. "You're just too stupid for her voice to work on you."

"I am not stupid!" the carrottop shouted in reply.

"Lack of intelligence is another factor," the princess stated, a wicked gleam in her eye. It seemed like she was trying to egg them on. "The more intelligent someone is, the easier it will be for a siren's voice to reach him."

Kuwabara whipped around to point his finger at Zoyi. "Are you calling me stupid?" he asked, glaring at her.

"I'm surprised it took you so long to catch on." She laughed merrily. I had to admit, the scene was rather comical. Even Genkai was smirking, although she still looked annoyed. I had a feeling that she preferred peace and quiet.

Yusuke rubbed his fist against the top of his friend's head. "See, I always told you I was smarter than you. This proves it."

Genkai rubbed her temples. "Can we please get down to business?" she growled. "I would like to get something done today that does not include dealing with dimwits."

"Yes, I would prefer to get this over with. I have a test to study for, and Mother will be worried if I do not come home tonight," Kurama added.

Koenma took a seat across from the princess. "Tell us whatever you called us here for. I'm listening."

Zoyi looked thoughtful. "But we're still missing one person," she said. "Hiei."

"Hiei says that he does not need to hear the story over again. He already knows," Kurama explained to her. Since Hiei could read minds, he had either picked up the information from Zoyi's mind or from my mind. Judging by the fact he seemed to read my mind often enough, he had probably gotten the story from me. I didn't bother me that he was reading my mind. I had nothing to hide, although I felt it was a waste of time to read my mind. Surely Hiei had better things to do.

"Very well then." The princess didn't seem bothered at all. "As long as I don't have to repeat the story again." She told them about Koenma's father approaching her family for her hand in marriage, about the game and the bet, and about how she had ended up in the human world. At the end of the story, no one said anything, and Koenma merely appeared thoughtful. Deep down, he was probably a little bothered, although he seemed to understand his father's reasoning, if nothing else. It was obvious that control of Makai was very important to Koenma and his father.

"Interesting. I will have to look into this." Then, Koenma said a brief goodbye, sounding distracted, and then left.

Yusuke yawned. "Well, I'm going home now. The arcade got a new game the other day, and I want to try it out." He stood up, walking to the door. "I'll see you all later."

"You had better come back tomorrow. I won't allow any slacking," Genkai retorted.

"Whatever you say, you old hag." With that said, Yusuke left.

It didn't take long for Zoyi, Kurama, and Kuwabara to leave as well, all promising to return.

I looked at Genkai. "Is there anything you need me to do, Genkai?" I asked softly.

"The dojo needs some cleaning, but that can be taken care of tomorrow. For now, just go practice. I have some things to take care of." Then, she stood up and left.

Mentally shrugging, I did as I was told, looking forward to the next day when everyone would return.


	16. Chapter 16

The day next didn't start out quite normal. I woke up, ate, but I had to do my own hair. Yukina never did appear to brush it out and braid it. Actually, when I thought about it, I hadn't seen her last night either. Perhaps she had gone to visit family or something, but I doubted it. Yukina would have told me, at least, I thought she would have told me. She was sweet and gentle, and leaving without telling everyone where she was going just didn't seem to be her style.

I walked outside and stood on the front steps, looking around. Something just didn't feel right. I stood there for a long while, holding little Hiei in my arms, petting him absently.

"Have you seen Yukina?"

I almost jumped in surprise. I hadn't heard Genkai come up to stand beside me. For an elderly lady, she really was quiet, deathly quiet. To be so talented now, she must have been a legend in her youth. "No, I haven't." I didn't like admitting that out loud. It made it seem more real, more serious.

She looked up at me, brown eyes worried. "You feel it too."

Somehow, I just knew that she was talking about the wrong feeling I had. "Yes," I replied. "Something is not right." Then, it came as a shock to realize that I didn't feel Hiei watching me. He wasn't around at all. It was strange, and that worried me almost as much as Yukina not being around. "Hiei is gone as well."

"I noticed." Genkai remained quiet for a long while. "This could mean nothing and it could mean everything. Still, all we can do is wait. If Hiei hasn't returned by lunch, sing and see if he comes. If he doesn't, we'll know that he's far away, and thus Yukina is as well."

"The air smells funny," I murmured softly. It still smelled like a shrine out in the middle of a forest, but something was different. A strange scent laid underneath everything else, something that spoke of destruction and chaos. "Like heaven is going to fall apart."

"Be on your guard, and don't stray far from the shrine. Do not go into the dark forest, no matter what," the old woman ordered. "When you don't know what to expect, take no chances."

I nodded my head, rubbing little Hiei's ears. He wasn't purring like normal. In fact, he seemed on almost edge, as if he expected danger just around the corner. Of course, he was also a little on edge when the guys were around. "I will be in the dojo if you need me, Genkai."

Genkai didn't reply, so I left her standing outside. As I was walking, Hiei jumped out of my arms, running across the grass. I watched, curious as to what he was up to. He began playing with something on the ground, batting it with his paws and then finally chewing on it. Then, looking proud of himself, he came back to me, a small object in his mouth about the size of a marble.

"Give that here, Hiei," I told him as he sat down at my feet. He simply stared at me, so I pried it from his mouth. The marble was like no marble I had ever seen. It was a beautiful blue color, almost clear, and it sparkled in the light. It looked like a perfectly round, smooth gem.

Genkai was suddenly standing by me again. "Let me see that," she ordered in a tone that I rushed to obey. Something about the way she had said it scared me, so I handed it over, quickly. The little marble mattered to her a great deal.

"What is it?" I asked her.

She rolled the object between her index finger and thumb, staring at it with an intensity I had never seen her exhibit before. "A tear gem, one of Yukina's I suspect." She frowned deeply, anxiety in her eyes. "This does not bode well." Her attention snapped to me. "Look around. See if you can find any more of them."

"Yes, Genkai." I hurried to do as she bid, searching the grass for more tear gems. I could find none. My kitten curled up near the door to the shrine, obviously unwilling to help.

It was a good hour before Genkai called the search to a halt. "This is useless. Get inside, and stay inside. Yukina was probably kidnapped, and we don't know by who or why. They could come back."

I didn't understand how Genkai could think that Yukina had been kidnapped just because little Hiei had found a gem in the yard, but I wasn't going to argue. Something about the old lady's attitude told me she was very serious about it, and that she believed what she had said.

"I'll be training in the dojo," I told her, my eyes looking up at the sky. Even the sky looked wrong, darker than usual. Something horrible was going to happen, and the not knowing when or why or how was making me nervous. It was almost as bad as not knowing what punishment my mother would come up with. She had always stuck with some punishment for a while, thinking it effective, but after time had passed, maybe a few months, she found something new to inflict upon me.

When I went to the dojo, Genkai stayed outside, probably to see what else she could find. It made sense to send me inside and for her to stay outside. I couldn't protect myself, but she could. She was strong enough to keep herself safe.

In the dojo, I set little Hiei down and began to practice all the different kicks and punches I knew, doing them over and over. It was nice to focus my mind on such a simple, repetitive task. It kept me from worrying about whatever was going wrong. Of course, it didn't help that I felt strange without Hiei watching over me. I didn't feel safe, and I didn't like that.

After a while, I fell to the floor in exhaustion. My demon body could hold up for a while, but not for very long. It definitely couldn't hold up that much better than my human one had. Perhaps that was because I now inhabited the body, since I was worthless. Or maybe it was because the body was that of a partial siren. Sirens had never been known for their physical strength.

Little Hiei curled up on my stomach, the tip of his tail twitching. When I reached up and petted him, he didn't purr. He was just as nervous and unsure of everything as I was still. He let me pet him for a little while, and then he went to the window and sat on the sill, tail swishing back and forth, his nose pointed up as he sniffed the air.

"What is it, Hiei?" I asked, standing up and going over to the window to stand behind him. The kitten remained still, staring out the window as if he was half-expecting something to happen. Perhaps he could sense something; however, if something was wrong, then why didn't little Hiei seem upset? He looked more curious than anything else. Maybe, just maybe, he could smell Yukina. If he could, then why didn't I see her? And why did the air still smell like heaven was falling apart? Was Yukina in danger, and if she was, how much danger was she in?

I shook my head to rid myself of those thoughts. Worrying would not help me any, and it certainly wouldn't help Yukina if she had been kidnapped. Besides, Yukina was stronger and better than me. She would be fine.

I went back to the bag and went back to punching. I wanted something to do to keep my mind occupied, and I punched the bag until my knuckles became red and sore. I pushed the pain from my mind. The pain was nothing compared to what my mother had put me through. The feeling of being thrown down the stairs, hitting wooden steps along the way and then slamming into the ground had been particularly painful.

My mind drifted, and I found myself worrying again about Yukina. Something was wrong enough for Genkai to want me inside and safe. Something was wrong enough for even Genkai to appear worried, which worried me even more.

Suddenly, I felt weak and useless. I was supposed to be helping everyone out, not cowering inside, but… I didn't dare disobey Genkai. I may have been brought back to life to help save people, but the old woman knew best. She was smarter than me and more powerful than me. Maybe I was in over my head, or maybe I was simply too weak to do anything useful. I was a waste of space and air.

A hot feeling entered my chest, the feeling squeezing my heart and lungs. I slammed my fists into the punching bag blindly, feeling stupid and useless. I was supposed to exist for a reason now, so why was I still so weak and pathetic? In the background I heard Hiei yowl unhappily and then growl, but he sounded so far away to my ears, despite the fact that I knew he was close by.

I punched even harder, not really noticing anything physically. I didn't matter; I was weak and worthless, and I couldn't even help Genkai find Yukina. It would have been better if I had simply died.

"Enough." A hand grabbed my wrist, stopping me from hitting the punching bag again.

I turned to look at how it was, and blinked in response. Hiei was back, but I hadn't sensed him. Was I becoming weaker, or perhaps I had simply not been paying attention? Either way, the black-haired demon did not look pleased.

"Abusing your body will not help," he told me, voice rough and clipped.

I stared at him. "Forgive me. I did not mean to bother you." Somehow, the hot feeling had suddenly drained out of me, leaving me feeling empty and tired. My head ached slightly, as if I had been concentrating too hard.

"See to you wounds, idiot." Then, Hiei was gone. A glance out the window told me that he was outside, talking to Genkai.

Wounds? I was wounded? I looked down at my hands and saw blood on my knuckles. A quick glance at the bag revealed that I had gotten the bag bloody. That was not good. Genkai would definitely be pissed at blood on her stuff. Luckily, my wounds weren't bleeding badly. It was a slow bleeding that gradually rolled down my hands to my wrists and arms. I definitely needed to bandage my hands so I wouldn't bleed over everything.

I left the dojo, little Hiei hot on my heels, meowing his displeasure. He was not happy about something, although I wasn't quite sure what. It was possible he wasn't happy about my bloody knuckles; perhaps I had an over-protective pet kitty.

I was in the middle of binding my hands when Genkai walked into the room and frowned at me. "What did you do now?" she asked but then shook her head. "Nevermind. We have more important matters to deal with. "Botan is here, and Yusuke is on his way."

"How bad are things?" I asked, although I wasn't sure why. For some reason, I just had a feeling that things were going to get worse.

Suddenly, for the first time since I had met Genkai, she looked old and tired. It was if something had added twenty or more years into her face and expression. "Heaven is falling apart."


	17. Chapter 17

As soon as Yusuke arrived, Genkai, Botan, Hiei and myself gathered together as Botan began to explain what was going on.

"Reikai is in an upheaval. Earthquakes are causing buildings to crumble, and ogres are just disappearing," the blue-haired girl began, looking and sounding tired. Her clothing was in a state of dishevel, and her was no longer neat and tidy in its ponytail. She had been through some kind of ordeal. "Weaker ferry girls are losing their powers, and our youkai prisons are weak enough now that the more powerful demons have escaped. Only the weakest of our prisoners are still in their cells."

"What is causing all of this?" Yusuke wanted to know, his temper showing. "How can earthquakes happen in Reikai? It sits in the sky!"

Botan sighed, leaning back against a wall, her exhaustion showing. "There's an old tale that Reikai can be destroyed if a certain procedure is followed. No one ever worried about it because it's next to impossible."

"Well, obviously someone's using it," the young man replied in a smart ass way. "Why didn't you guys find a way to protect yourselves from this tale?"

"We did. We established the system of spirit detectives," the ferry girl replied tartly, her old spark returning to her eyes. "For this procedure to work, the planets must be aligned in a certain way on a certain day, and on this certain day, a powerful psychic has to be sacrificed, followed by thirty days in which a child is sacrificed each day and all their blood collected.

"After that, exactly 100 koorime tear gems must be melted with acid into the children's blood. Then, a willing human must bathe in the blood every day until the moon becomes dark. On the full moon, the willing human must find a demon that will sacrifice himself or herself for the lives of ten children who have been abused throughout this entire process. This demon must bleed to death, and the human must drink the final drop of blood that falls out of the demon. Then, the human must perform a specific, long and involved ceremony in the company of demons until the sun rises, and once the sun does rise, Reikai will be gone and the demons will rule everything."

Hiei said nothing, but his eyes were dark and dangerous. Yusuke was speechless, and I said nothing. What could I say to such a process? I couldn't blame them for not worrying about it, because the process was long and complicated.

"At what part of this procedure are we in?" Genkai asked. She kept her face and eyes blank, but I could tell she was worried. Her tone of voice was a tad bit abnormal. I couldn't place what it was, but I could still tell.

"Judging by the alignment of planets and the moon cycle, somewhere around the time the koormie tear gems have been melted and combined with the children's blood. We have till the sun rises after the full moon to stop this." Botan slumped to the ground, what was left of her normal cheeriness evaporating. "No one was prepared for this to happen, and we can't find any trace of where this human might be."

"What about the children? Are there more disappearances than normal in a general area?" Genkai asked.

The ferrygirl shook her head. "No. In fact, we can't seem to find any evidence of disappearing children in the last few months." Her eyes looked tired. "The thing is, I could have sworn no human knew of this procedure and only a very few select number of demons."

"And where are all those demons?" Yusuke asked darkly, his brown eyes gleaming dangerously. "I'll bet you I can get one of them to talk if they know anything." He cracked his knuckles.

"They're dead or still imprisoned in Reikai." Botan looked over at Yusuke. "And Reikai is too shaken up for me to take you there. It isn't stable enough to support a human. Anyway, there's no way any of them could have told a human about it. They've been imprisoned for centuries."

A quick glance at Hiei told me that he was pissed and worried, and I doubted that it was about Reikai. It had to be Yukina, although I couldn't put my finger on why. She was important to him, and that was why he was so on edge. "What about Yukina. Can you locate her?" I asked, my voice taking on a strange tone. Hiei wasn't the only one worried about her. I was too, and I missed her greatly. I didn't deserve to miss her or to worry, but I did anyway.

"Whoever has her knows how to seal demon energy so it can't be sensed. She's hidden, and well." Botan rubbed her eyes that were suddenly brighter than normal. Seeing the normally happy girl sad made my chest hurt. I had become accustomed to her cheer, and now that she was lacking it, I missed it.

"Since they have their 100 tear gems, surely they don't need her anymore," Yusuke interjected. "They could release her." He was being foolish and illogical. It was obvious he didn't want anything to happen to Yukina, but he was being silly. Why would anyone release Yukina when she could identify her kidnappers or bring us to their hideout. They would not take such a chance.

"And chance having her reveal where their operation is?" Genkai replied, voice harsh. "I doubt it. They'll either kill her or keep her longer for more tear gems."

I stood there quietly, deep in thought. How could a human know about the process? If only a few, select demons knew about it, and all of them were either alive or imprisoned, then how could one of them tell a human? I looked at the depressed ferrygirl. "How did the demons find out about it?" I asked her, voice soft and timid. "Is it written anywhere? Was it a prophecy handed down by someone?"

Botan looked at me with intrigued eyes. "It was a prophecy handed down millennia ago by a powerful human back when there was no barrier between the demons and humans… but all the demons that knew about the prophecy have already attempted to destroy Reikai and failed."

"So the idiot demon is really patient and waited until he found the right human and had everything in place." Yusuke punched his right hand into his left palm. "That would explain what's going on."

"That still doesn't help us find the demon," Botan argued. "It could be any demon from the smallest demon that possesses humans to the most powerful demon that can travel through the Kekkai barrer."

"Have you looked into murders that took place a month ago? Looked into missing person's reports to see if children are going missing?" Kuwabara asked, sounding rather intelligent for once. His idea had some amount of merit, however I doubted that searching through records would help.

I shook my head, sitting down as I thought it over. "They could easily kill and hide the bodies, and I'm sure there are plenty of children they can find that are either homeless or are unwanted. My mother wouldn't have put out a missing person's report if I hadn't shown up one day." I felt no anger or sadness at that statement. It was simply a fact I had accepted a long time ago.

"If you can't find the demonic energy signatures, then they must be hiding somewhere that covers or represses their yoki," Genkai added. I could hear the hint of sadness in her voice. She missed Yukina as well. "It would have taken either one strong demon or multiple weaker demons to approach my shrine and take Yukina away."

"How many humans and demons would they need minimum to kidnap Yukina, kill a human and multiple children, as well as suppress Yukina's yoki and their own?" I asked softly. I knew that I should probably keep quiet, but I wanted to help Yukina. I wanted to see her safely returned to the shrine. She was my nee-chan, after all.

"They need at least one human and two demons, one demon for strength and one for stealth," Kurama answered. "However, I'd bet there's more. The group has likely recruited all the lowly demons in this area, ones that cannot be sensed by Reikai. They'll have a large, rather weak, army at their disposal, but it will be strong enough to kill the humans with ease."

"If you're all done talking, I'm going to go find these demons and slit their throats. If you wish to come along, I suggest you speak up now." Hiei sounded furious and impatient, and there was enough heat in his voice that my kitten hissed softly.

"I can…" I started to say, but I drifted off when I glanced at Hiei. His red eyes were like two hot embers, furious and filled with unbearable fire. They scared me. He was so angry that I felt frozen in place, my throat refusing to work so the rest of my sentence couldn't come out.

"I take it you've kept tabs on all the local gathering places for demons?" Kurama asked, strolling towards the door. When he spoke, Hiei turned his head, breaking the eye contact. I relaxed and turned away, concealing the shaking of my hands by clasping them together. Kami, I was so weak.

"Shit yes! Finally, something to do." Yusuke jumped up, grinning.

Genkai huffed. "Go on, but if you die, don't come whining back to me." She sounded huffy, but I had a feeling she was merely worried about her student.

"Don't worry, you old hag. I'll be fine," the black haired boy replied, looking better since he had some kind of a semblance of a plan of action. I had the feeling that the only plan he had was to charge in, beat everyone up, and demand answers.

"What about Zoyi?" I quietly asked. "She might be able to help." They all looked at me, and I froze for a moment. Hiei's eyes still held the level of absolute fury, but the others merely appeared thoughtful. Minus Kuwabara. He just looked stupidly thoughtful.

"Do you think we can trust her on this?" Kurama pondered, clear green eyes fixed on me. "None of us know her well enough."

Yusuke shrugged. "I'm all for giving her chance, but we can do that after we find the enemy." He gave a cocky grin. "Let's head out!" He looked so gung-ho for the upcoming fight that I was somewhat amazed. I don't think I had ever met anyone who enjoyed fighting so much. Most of it probably came from the fact that he didn't want to stand around and wait. He didn't want to be helpless in the face of danger. Yusuke was very much an action person.

I sat there quietly as I watched them leave. First Yusuke went out the door, and then Kurama made a calm exit, and finally Kuwabara started to leave. Hiei was already long gone, probably out the window. He didn't seem to care for doors all that much.

Kuwabara turned to look at me from the doorway, eyes confused, as if I wasn't acting how he expected. "Aren't you coming, Myra?" he asked, his gruff voice kind. There was nothing in his tone or body posture that said he didn't want me to come along with them. He wanted me to follow.

I felt a sudden, comfortable warmth in my chest. I was being included, and he had welcomed me into the group. "Yes, of course," I replied, quickly standing up and hurrying after the others, the warmth spreading through me.

* * *

A couple of hours and a few bus rides later, we ended up in a part of town I had never seen before. It seemed darker, shadier, but there was nothing obvious that pointed to that. The buildings were in fine condition, and I could see people far off into the distance down the road. There was still something about the section of town that we were in that made me nervous. I could smell blood, booze, and death. There was another scent underneath it all that didn't smell even remotely human. And perhaps the strangest thing about the entire place was that there were no plants. Nothing green flourished where we were.

Yusuke cracked his knuckles, eager to start fighting. "Time to start the ass-kicking. I'll get the idiots to tell me everything after I've beaten their brains in." There was something a little crazy about the expression on his face, and his eyes held no fear. He seemed to be afraid of nothing.

Kurama laid a calm hand on the black-haired boy's shoulder, gently restraining him. "Perhaps we should try another, more peaceful tactic first?" he asked, eyes holding an amused look. "It might prove to be efficient than violence, and with this we can't afford to make mistakes."

The black-haired punk looked at the redhead like he was crazy. "Like what?!"

"We simply send in someone to talk to them. Reconnaissance, if you will. We might get more information that way," Kurama replied. He was up to something; I could see it in his green eyes, but I couldn't figure it out. Yusuke was much more obvious, much more easy to read.

"And who would we send in?" Kuwabara wanted to know. "No demon is going to talk to any human, not without a beating first."

"But they'll talk to a demon," the redhead stated, still calm as Yusuke and Kuwabara got worked up. I had a feeling that there wasn't much that upset Kurama. "Although it's too bad that they have their minds blocked so Hiei can't look into them."

"I hate to say it, but Hiei's not much of a sweet talker," Yusuke said, snickering. His sarcastic temper seemed to be his defense for stress or pain. "I don't think he'll be good at that."

Hiei glared at Yusuke, red eyes lighting up with anger. I cringed, although Yusuke didn't appear to mind at all. It seemed that I had found some rather strange people to work with. "I can disembowel you. With Reikai as it is, no one will notice for months."

Kurama gave Hiei a warning glance, but otherwise everyone ignored the threat. It was probably normal amongst them. "No, we can send Myra in," the redhead said, looking at me.

I froze, eyes wide. There was no way they would want me to do that. How could they even trust me to do it correctly? My mind began to race as emotions and thoughts came one after another. The interesting thing was I wasn't scared of dying or of being hurt. I was scared of failing.

"The demons would kill her before she could even talk to them!" Kuwabara protested, shaking his head vehemently. "We can't send her in there by herself. That would be cruel."

The warmth I had felt earlier returned, and my mind calmed. Kuwabara was worried about me, or at the very least he believed in the old rules of chivalry in which women were placed on a pedestal. It was a pleasant feeling to know that he cared.

"I'll do it," I said quietly, but no one heard me. Yusuke had joined into the argument, although he was doing so much shouting at the same time as Kuwabara is was hard to make out what either was saying. Out of the corner of my eye I say Hiei rolling his eyes in annoyance. He probably didn't think much of sending me in there, and I wasn't sure if he cared if I died or not. At the very least, Hiei would be against sending me in there because I was far too weak. Still, I wanted to keep the warm feeling, so I felt it would be best to at least try and help them.

I cleared my throat and spoke louder. "I'll go do it," I repeated, although no one was really paying attention. Even Kurama seemed to be reaching the end of his patience with the two loud boys. Why wouldn't anyone listen to me? Honestly, I thought they would want to hear that I was willing to help. Wasn't that why I was training with them? Wasn't that why I had been brought back to life?

I frowned, a spark of annoyance flaring up inside of me. "I said I'll do it, you loud idiots!" I shouted, my voice piercing enough that I could be heard over all the noise. Yusuke and Kuwabara instantly quieted down and looked at me, surprise on their faces. They must have never expected me to yell like that. Kurama looked pleased, his green eyes warm as they met mine. I quickly glanced at Hiei, but his face was blank, almost carefully blank, as if he didn't want to upset me. "I can do it, or at least I'll try. If the men are male, I can sing and try to get information out of them that way." I paused, looking off the side so I didn't have to continue looking at the shocked expressions of the boys. "I just need to know what to ask."

"I'm sure I can help you with that," Kurama said politely, voice kind. "We need to know what demons are kidnapping children as well as where the demons are hiding. It would be helpful to know what their abilities are. You'll have to ask everything discreetly and tactfully so no one knows what you're really searching for information on." He looked over at Hiei, and some kind of understanding must have passed between them, because the short demon nodded ever so slightly.

"If I fail, you can always bash heads in then, Yusuke," I told him, attempting to cheer him up, although my voice was rather dull and empty despite my good intentions. Chances are that I would fail, especially as weak as I was. Hopefully my singing would be at least partially effective.

Yusuke patted my shoulder, a cocky grin on his face. Was he ever unsure of himself? I briefly wished that I could have his confidence, for all that it was impossible. Besides, I had nothing worthwhile to be confident about.

"I'm sure you'll do fine. If not, we'll head in and rescue you, so don't worry," he assured me, brown eyes kind.

Kurama gave me a light push down the road, eyes gentle but firm when I glanced back at him. "Just hum as you walk towards them, and start singing when you get close. Sing quietly though, otherwise we'll have problems resisting. We'll wait for you just outside this area. If we sense you're in trouble, we'll come running."

I nodded my head and began to walk toward where I could see people, although they were far away. My throat and chest felt tight, and in my nervousness, I began to toy with my clothing. Oh Kami, I was going to screw this up. I was going to fail, and Reikai would be destroyed because I wasn't good enough.

'_Concentrate. Relax. You won't fail.' _

I could suddenly feel Hiei's eyes on me, and I relaxed. It was easy to feel safe and secure with him watching me, so I took a deep breath and let it out. My nerves left me, and I concentrated on the task at hand. Even if I did fail, we had a back up plan, so everything would be fine. For my part, all I had to do was hum and sing, and I could do that. I was part siren, so I had a pretty voice.

After taking one last deep breath, I began to hum softly. I kept it up, and when I was close enough for the people in the distance to hear me, I saw them turn their heads to look at me. A few moments later, and I could see them clearly. They were demons, although I couldn't tell how strong they were.

They were a variety of colors, with earth tones being predominant. None of them looked all that human, especially when I saw multiple eyes, fins, and additional body parts. There was one demon that looked like a pile of blubber and blue mud. I decided I didn't like the look of that one and avoided it.

When I was within a few feet of all the demons, I began to sing softly. The men began to gather around me, eyes glazed over. Some attempted to resist and hung back, a look of concentration on their faces. The rest of the demons crowded around me, and I didn't realize just how dangerous my job was until one of them reached out to touch me. My heart leapt up into my throat, and for a moment fear froze my mind. I didn't like the touch, and I wanted to run. I wanted to rush back to the others and hide behind them. Another hand reached out and grabbed my ass. An arm wrapped around my legs.

Suddenly, Hiei was there with his arms around my waist, his chest pressed against my back. I realized that he was under the spell of voice just as much as the others. Despite the fact that his eyes were glazed and he would be furious with me later, I welcomed his presence. I calmed down and focused on what I needed to do.

I turned to one demon, his eyes every color of the rainbow and his skin the color of the night. He had eight arms, and one was wrapped around my legs.

"Talk to me," I sang to him, my eyes meeting his. "Tell me of the powerful ones. I want to know where they are. I want to sing for them."

He didn't respond at first. His mouth moved, but I could hear nothing. For a moment, I wondered if the plan would even work. Then, murmurs went out through the crowd of people around me, and the bodies pressed closer.

"Hiding," I heard one man say, his voice like gravel.

Another one piped in. "They're scary."

"Powerful," a third one said, his mouth so close to me I felt his tongue tickle my ear. For a moment, I thought I would be sick.

More voices rose from the crowd, all stating very simple answers. With my voice, their brains were gone. They could not think intelligently. I would have to guide them.

"Hiding where?" I asked them all, my voice singsong.

"Painful place." Some kind of bulky brown demon reached out for me, a finger running down my arm. I shivered.

"Protected place." The blubber demon tried to touch me, but I moved away. I most definitely did not want to know what his slimy skin felt like.

"Detective building."

My head snapped around so I could look at the demon that had spoken. I couldn't identify him in the crowd, but I knew which direction the voice had come from. I took a few steps in that direction, Hiei hanging onto me. It seemed that he didn't want to let go of me, and I know that he would be angry later, but I couldn't risk stopping. He would be free of my voice, but so would everyone else. I just couldn't do that. I would deal with Hiei's anger later and deal with the punishment. I had dealt with pain before, so punishment was nothing new. Besides, I would have earned Hiei's punishment.

"What detective building?" I sang to them, voice firm. I wanted an answer. I needed an answer.

"Hidden one," a voice said, and it was the same one as before. He had more information, but I wasn't sure how to get it out of him.

"What kind of detective building?" I moved towards the voice again, fighting down my fear as so many of the men kept on reaching out and touching me. I couldn't stop singing though. I didn't dare; otherwise I would be in danger, and so would Hiei. I wouldn't risk his life for anything. I would risk mine, for I was worthless, but he was not.

"Dangerous."

"What kind of building is it?" I reiterated, impatience in my voice as I found the demon that had been talking and grasped his arm. He was a mixed demon, his narrow eyes like that of a snake, but his skin was like that of a shark. It bit into my skin and cut through the binding that I had put on my earlier wounds, but I ignored the pain. He had absolutely no hair on his body, and his khaki pants were cut up from his skin. I could see his knees and most of his legs through his pants.

"Reikai!" he burst out, forked tongue flicking out to caress my cheek. I almost threw up right then and there.

"Good boy," I told him, still singing, figuring that if I rewarded him for good information he would be more helpful. "Now, tell me where it is."

"Hidden." He rubbed his cheek against my hand, causing more cuts in my flesh.

"Where?" I asked again. I would keep asking it until I had an answer.

"Hidden." He kissed the back of my wrist, and my eyes went wide. I forced the sick feeling in my stomach to the back of my mind.

I mentally sighed, wonderful if I could obtain any more information from him. "Where?" I asked one more time, releasing his arm.

"Don't know! He led me there," the mixed demon finally answered, the arm I had just released reaching out for me.

Still singing, I pondered what he had said. "Who led you?"

I let his hand just barely touch my arm. I didn't want him to become discouraged and then stop feeding me information. "Demon in human," he replied, voice more relaxed now that he was touching me again with both arms.

"Excellent." I wondered if I had gathered up enough information. I had no idea where a Reikai detective building was, but I bet that Botan or one of the others would know. And I knew what one of the demons we were dealing with was. We had a type of demon that could possess a human on our hands. Still, I needed to know who the others were.

"What are the other powerful ones?" I asked the group, my throat suddenly starting to become sore, and I realized that I had never sung for so long without stopping. I had always taken little breaks here and there, taking enough time for the boys to get away from me. With these demons, I was taking no breaks, and I could feel it.

"Strong. Dangerous." A hand pushed up one of my pants legs to allow a tongue to lick my calf. I felt dizzy and nauseous.

"Ancient." Another hand gasped my upper thigh.

"Jagan." A demon with short red and pink hair kissed my throat, his hair tickling my skin. The hand on my thigh moved upwards. Kami, it was becoming harder and harder to ignore what they were doing. I felt like I was going to scream, and only Hiei's arms tightening around me kept the scream inside of me.

I wouldn't scream. I couldn't afford such a mistake. I would fail, and Hiei would likely pay the price with me.

"Illusions. Fire." Someone began to pet my hair, his claws gently scratching my scalp. I felt blood begin to trickle down the back of my head. For all that he had tried to be gentle, he had wounded me. Luckily, with everything else going on, I really hadn't felt the pain.

"Darkness."

I wasn't sure what they were talking about. Were they giving me impressions or powers? Were they names? I didn't know, but I highly doubted that the men had enough of a mind left to tell me.

"Names?" I asked, curious. I doubted I would get anything, but if I didn't, I would survive. I knew something already, and hopefully that would be enough.

"Secret." I had to close my eyes and concentrate hard on ignoring the feeling of so many people touching me. I wanted to run, I wanted to scream, but most of all, I wanted to go bathe and scrub my skin until I could no longer feel their touch.

"Danger."

"Gemini." That caught my attention. It sounded like a name, and I was about to ask about Gemini, but my voice began to give out. Some of the men stumbled. I needed to get out of there and fast, but they seemed to move when I did. How in the world would I leave them behind when they clung to me?

"Let me out. I want to leave. Don't follow," I sang, some of the words softer and scratchier than I would have liked. Still, they did seem to listen. A small path formed for me, and I felt Hiei loosen his arms.

In fear that he would stay with the group of enemies, I grabbed onto his arms, trying to keep him with me. "Don't leave me, Hiei." I kept my voice soft so that the order was only for him, but I walked fast. My voice wouldn't hold out forever.

I was a mere fifty feet from the group of male demons when my singing voice actually gave out. It was no longer pretty and pure, but it was scratchy and half the notes didn't come out right. Fear shot through me. What would happen when they woke up and I wasn't far enough away? Would they kill both Hiei and myself?

I suddenly found myself wishing that Hiei was far, far away from this dangerous part of town. I hadn't been able to protect Yukina, and I was worth a second of anyone's time, but I wanted to protect Hiei. I didn't want anything to happen to him while he was in thrall with my voice.

"Wake up Hiei, and get out of here, please," I whispered as the demons I had spelled slowly began to wake up. Whispering didn't hurt my throat nearly as much as singing or talking.

A second later, I was tossed over his shoulder, and the surroundings were whisking past faster than I could recognize them. This certainly didn't help my stomach, and through sheer force of will, I kept my last meal inside of me. I wasn't sure how long that would last, but I would try. I'm sure Hiei would be very upset if I ruined his clothing.

'_Throw up on me, and I will drop you.' _ Hiei's tone was firm and harsh, giving me no room to argue, not that I wanted to. I would obey his orders quiet happily. He only wanted to stay clean, and for that, I couldn't blame him.

I weakly nodded my head. I would not get sick on him. I most definitely would control myself. I had survived all of them touching me, so I could handle being carried at such a speed. Hiei was only doing what he had to do.

Still, I thanked Kami when Hiei finally stopped and gently deposited me on the ground by Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara. They had all been tense, and as soon as they saw me, the tension left their bodies. The redhead offered me a hand up, but I shook my head. I wanted to sit down for a while, at least until the nausea passed. My stomach was still rolling and my throat burned. He retracted his hand.

Yusuke frowned, looking less than pleased. "I really should have just bashed everyone's heads in," he said, sounding pissed.

I must have looked as green as I felt, because Kuwabara's eyes filled with concern. "Are you okay?" he asked.

For a few moments, I thought that over. I didn't want them to worry, but I also didn't want to lie. Would they be angry with me if I lied? Or would they prefer me to tell the truth. My mother had never cared if I was sick or not, and she had actually been meaner when I was sick. Instincts ruled over everything else, and I nodded my head. "I'm fine," I whispered finally.

"You don't look fine," Yusuke commented, tone rough but still more gentle than it had been before. "What happened to you out there?"

Kurama held out a few green leaves. "Hold these under your nose and take a few deep breaths," he ordered, green eyes watching me carefully. "It will help calm your stomach and nerves."

Nerves? I still had nerves after everything? I thought I had calmed them and was merely a little sick to my stomach.

I frowned at him, but took the leaves and did what he said. They smelled mint-like but different. There was almost a sandalwood and rose undertone to them, but I couldn't quite place them. I took a few more deep breaths and felt my stomach quiet down and my nerves settle. I hadn't even noticed how tense I had been until I finally relaxed.

Looking up at Kurama, I attempted another smile. I failed again, but I felt that I was closer to it than before. "Thank you," I told him, holding the leaves out to him.

"Keep them. You might need them again," the redhead told me, gently pushing my hand back towards my chest.

"I appreciate it. You are too kind." I stood up slowly, waiting for my body to reject the movement. It didn't, so I took a deep breath and let it out. Everything was going to be okay.

Yusuke gave me an unreadable look. "You sure you're okay?"

I nodded my head. I didn't want them to worry about me. What had happened to me when I had sung didn't matter. I had information for them that would help, so it was all worth it. I had finally served some kind of purpose, and that made me feel better. Besides, it didn't matter what happened to me; I was worthless. I pushed the bad memories to the back of my mind and took one more deep breath.

Looking at the four men, it seemed to be that they were waiting for me to talk. I saw no reason to keep them waiting anymore. "I think I have the answers you need."

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COTA: Sorry it took so long to update this. I was so busy at college, but now I have a little time to write… at least until I get married and go on my honeymoon. I plan to also update tourniquet soon. I have no idea when I will finish this, but I do plan to do that eventually. Don't worry. I will get to everything eventually.


	18. Chapter 18

**CotA: As a quick note before I begin the next chapter, I am looking for someone who is willing to help me with my writing by serving as an idea sounding-board. I do best if I can bounce ideas off someone and talk through the plot with them. If anyone is interested in helping me, either send me a message through fanfiction, or email me at childoftheancients (at) yahoo (dot) com.**

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I hugged myself as I tried to remember everything and not upset my stomach all over again from the memories. Everyone was watching me, and that made me more nervous. I didn't like being the center of attention; it had never gone well for me when people paid attention.

No, that was in the past. I was safe. None of them had harmed me, so I forced myself to breath slowly and concentrate. Remembering the information was important.

"The demons are hiding in some kind of building that's hidden. It's a Reikai detective building, but no one could tell me where. One of the demons has possessed a human." I paused, trying my best to remember. "I asked about what the other demons were, but all I got were some words that could mean anything or nothing. Fire, illusion, jagan, darkness, ancient… I have one possible name—Gemini. I'm sorry I couldn't get any more information."

I hung my head, ashamed of myself now. I could have possibly held out longer if I had concentrated harder, or I could have gotten more information out of the demons if I had phrased the questions better.

Someone gently patted my head, causing me to look up. It was Kuwabara. "Don't worry about it. It's more than we knew before," he said, giving me an encouraging smile. I had to admit, his support made me feel better.

"True." Kurama leaned back against a building, looking relaxed but still alert. "I've never heard of a demon named Gemini, but it's possible it's more of a nickname. Maybe twin demons? Someone with two personalities?"

Yusuke frowned. "How the hell did they get into a Reikai building? And why didn't Koenma ever tell us about such buildings? Stupid pacifier breath." He continued muttering unkind things about his employer under his breath, although his eyes looked bright and alive. He was looking forward to the upcoming battle, no matter how dangerous it seemed.

"Is it possible that one of the demons has a jagan, and that's why we can't find them or Yukina? Maybe that's how they got her off the shrine." I added.

Kurama looked thoughtful. Hiei just looked pissed when I glanced at him, although I didn't think he was pissed at me.

The redhead idly played with a seed, green eyes unfocused. "That seems likely, although it's possible if the possessing demon is old enough, he could have enough intelligence and power to hide his yoki from Genkai and the rest of us. Admittedly, it's the ancient part that will prove to be the most troublesome if it's true. With age comes power and experience, especially if we factor in the knowledge of the prophecy. We possibly have someone very old and crafty on our hands."

"Hiei can counter the jagan demon with his own thingy, so we shouldn't be too bad off," Kuwabara stated, and I immediately wondered just how intelligent he was. Thingy? Honestly.

A thought struck me. "How powerful can an illusion be?" I asked.

"Powerful enough some youkai can allow the person to see, hear, taste, and touch everything in the illusion. They can be difficult to escape from, especially if the person doesn't want to escape," Kurama replied, cocking his head slightly to the side as he looked at Hiei.

The fire demon glared back, looking fully pissed off. A completely different emotion flicked faintly in his eyes for a fraction of a second. It came and went so quickly I couldn't tell what it was. I didn't need to know what the emotion had been, but I was still curious.

"As long as Hiei keeps a clear head, his jagan should give us the advantage over that problem," the redhead added after a moment, a slight smile on his face for a moment.

I suddenly had the distinct impression that Hiei and Kurama often had silent conversations, and that Hiei had not liked the last one. Perhaps Kurama had teased him about something, and the shorter demon had not liked it? It was impossible to tell for sure, but Kurama's smile had spoken volumes.

Yusuke kicked at a rock, sending it flying across the street. "First things first. I get to find Koenma and beat the information we need out of him."

"That's not precisely needed," Kurama offered, a glint in his eyes. For a moment he seemed older than he looked. "It's not like he's the only one who knows the locations of the Reikai detective safe houses."

"So fess up. Where are they?" Yusuke asked, sticking his hands in his pockets, the perfect image of a carefree punk. "Or are we going to dick around her all day?"

Kuwabara hit him over the head, frowning in disapproval. The attack had been sudden and completely unexpected. No one had seemed to anticipate it, lease of all Yusuke.

"What the hell was that for?" Yusuke demanded, holding his head where Kuwabara had hit him. Annoyance filled his eyes as he snarled at his friend. "I'm going to kick your ass."

"You're not supposed to talk like that in front of girls." The carrottop crossed his arms over his chest, looking very much like an immovable wall.

"Myra doesn't count!" the black-haired boy insisted, balling his hands into fists. His body posture shifted into a fighting stance. He was readying himself to duke it out with his friend and ally.

I mentally sighed, preparing myself for the incoming brawl. Really, did they have to fight at such a time? Only boys would do such a thing.

Looking at Kurama and then Hiei, I realized that they were not going to intervene. Hiei appeared bored and uninterested, while Kurama merely looked resigned, as if he'd dealt with this situation many times before.

I turned my attention back to Yusuke and Kuwabara, finding them trying to strangle one another. Yusuke had his arm wrapped around Kuwabara's neck from behind, grinding his free fist against the top of the carrottop's head. Kuwabara was attempting to reach behind himself to strangle his friend, a scowl on his face.

One moment I was seeing them, and then the next all I could see was my mother's face, her features twisted with anger an hate so that she was barely recognizable. I could feel her hands around my throat, cutting of my air. My body hurt; my head felt light from the lack of oxygen. I struggled against her, tugging on her wrists with what little strength I had left. I felt like I was dying as my vision began to swim and then dim to grays.

Suddenly I heard faint cursing and something began to shake my shoulders. Someone shouted my name, and then with a blink I was no longer staring at my mother. I was lying on the ground, my hair tangled around me. My muscles still ached, as if I had just participated in a triathlon.

Red eyes met mine, something I couldn't fathom in the ruby depths. "Breathe," Hiei reminded me, his voice full of power, and suddenly I realized my lungs burned. During the flashback I had stopped breathing.

I gulped in air, my body tingling from the sudden increase in oxygen. My eyes watered, and never before had the air tasted so good. Relief coursed through me as I realized I had escaped death. For the first time in a long time, I was thankful that I was still alive.

"Thank you. Thank you," I whispered over and over once I had finally caught my breath. Hiei had saved me, brought me back to myself. I gently touched my hand to his arm for a brief moment before he stood up and began looking around. I forced myself to sit up, the action taking more effort than it should have.

"Are you alright?" Kurama asked, kneeling down next to me. I could see the concern in his eyes, his lips pressed together in worry.

I nodded my head, still taking deep breaths. Never before had I enjoyed air so much. Small tremors still shook my body, and I could feel the fear inside of me that my mother always caused, but I was still thankful that I was alive. Somehow the near death experience coupled with the power Hiei had used to save me had done something to me.

"What the hell happened?" Yusuke asked, and it was then I realized that the two boys had stopped fighting. "You were standing there, and then all of a sudden you were lying on the ground, not breathing. It looked like you were having a seizure for a moment."

"I do not know," I replied, meeting Yusuke's eyes. "I had a flashback, but..." I drifted off, unsure of how much I should say. I wanted to tell them that I did not think the flashback had caused me to have a seizure and stop breathing, but I couldn't bring myself to say anything. The fear inside of me froze my tongue.

"A jagan did it," Hiei stated, voice harsh. Anger flicked through his eyes, darkening them, and he clenched his fists. "Our enemy is near."

"Shit!" Yusuke cursed, looking around frantically at all the nearby buildings. "How'd they get so close without us sensing them?"

Kurama stood back up, his face a mask although his green eyes flashed dangerously. "They would not need to be close to attack Myra. She has little mental defense against such an attack, and the jagan is a powerful weapon. He could have stood a great distance away and still easily attack Myra."

"Coward," Kuwabara muttered, his dark eyes darting around as his jaw clenched in anger. A tingle went across my skin, as if energy had streaked by me. It seemed that he was trying to sense the enemy, even though they were likely a great distance away. "Attacking a girl when there are real men around."

Hiei continued to stand close to me, almost as if he was prepared to protect me in case the enemy with the jagan attacked me again. For a moment I felt completely safe and secure, as I had when I was little and my father held me in his arms. I embraced the feeling why it lasted. It had been so long, so very long since I had felt so safe. Still, no feeling could last forever, and the fear crept back in as I too glanced around for the enemy.

The short demon made an annoyed sound. "We should leave."

"Hiei's right," Kurama said, nodding in agreement. His eyes were still cold, his face impassive. Something about him made me shiver. I was too used to him being gentle and approachable, and the current coldness was such a stark contrast. "Even if the enemy is long gone, it would be safer to plan someplace else."

Kuwabara came over to me and offered me his hand. I took it, and he helped pull me to my feet. "We should get you back to the shrine," he told me, concern coloring his voice. "You've been in enough danger today."

I stood there, hugging myself as the males all came to an agreement to run simply because I hadn't been able to protect my own mind. Something warm ran through my veins as a light buzzing filled my head. I held myself all the tighter for it, not realizing what was making me tense. I wanted to scream, and my chest went tight as I held it in.

I didn't want us to have to go simply because I was pathetic. My head ached as they treated me like a helpless liability. The emotion continued to whip through me, and I wanted to strike out at someone, anyone.

"Alright," Yusuke finally said, heaving a frustrated sigh that was almost a growl. "Let's head back." He back to walk down the street, the others following them.

I stood there for a moment, still hugging myself as I stubbornly refused to blindly follow orders. I knew it wasn't the best idea, but I wanted to rebel, to tell them I was a demon and not so incredibly weak. I wanted to scream at them to stop treating me as if I was a liability that needed to be constantly protected.

Hiei paused, and when Kurama walked past him he looked back, confusion in his eyes. Then he saw me, and when his emerald eyes met mine, my defiance left me in a rush. What I now understood had been anger was gone, leaving me afraid and timid.

While Kurama's expression was friendly, I could still see the remnants of the frigid anger in the set of his mouth and the tension around his eyes. "Aren't you coming?" he asked me.

I meekly nodded my head, jogging to catch up. Hiei gave me a glance that was so brief I couldn't tell if he was angry with me or not, but I was relatively certain that there had been a hint of approval in his eyes. I blinked and then shook my head. I was being delusional again, and it would do me no good to dwell on it. Still, perhaps one day I would be able to express my thoughts and feelings, but today was not the day.


	19. Chapter 19

On the way back to the shrine, I thought over everything that had happened, especially my sudden anger. It had been years since I had been furious, so long since I had felt any emotion. Ever since I had died and been placed inside my new body, I had been changing. I wasn't sure what I thought about the changes, or what the others would think of them. Perhaps they would not even care.

Still, my anger with them had been completely uncalled for. They had been worried about me, and they had wanted to protect me. It felt strange for someone to protect me and not harm me, but not one of them had ever raised a hand to me. They were a strange bunch, but the boys reminded me that not everyone was abusive. Some people even protected others.

It would have been nice if we had not had to leave simply because I was weak. I needed to become stronger somehow. Perhaps Hiei would help train me a little more and maybe teach me a way to protect my mind.

I suddenly wanted to curl up in a corner and hide away forever. Tension tightened my shoulders and my head ached atrociously. I had been such a hindrance to them, and they had certainly deserved better from me.

For a moment I wanted the boys to punish me for my failure like my mother had always done. If they did, I could find stability and the horrible feelings would go away. I wanted to go back to the way I was before I had begun to regain my emotions. It hurt so much.

When we finally reached the shrine I had the sudden urge to go and hide. Not to keep Genkai from finding out how badly I had done, but to just get away from everyone. Yusuke and Kuwabara chatted, their voices grated on me, making my head hurt worse. Kurama made a comment now and then, the noise pressing against me from all sides.

I wasn't sure how much I could take. I needed some peace and quiet so I could calm down and convince my head to stop hurting. I wanted to be left alone for a while so I could attempt to find some kind of balance inside of me.

"Back already?" Genkai asked as she slid open the door, one eyebrow raised. "Things either went very badly or very well." Her gaze flicked from one person to another, and she frowned slightly when she looked at me. Some kind of uncomfortable emotion stabbed through me. Did she know that I had screwed up so badly? Was she angry with me?

"It was a little of both, actually," Kurama replied easily, slipping into the shrine. "We gained a good portion of intelligence."

"And one of our enemies decided to make himself known," Yusuke added, following Kurama.

Steeling myself, I forced my feelings down as best as I could and entered the shrine as well, Kuwabara close on my heels. After a moment I was surprised to see that even Hiei came inside, and Genkai closed the door behind us all.

"So tell me what happened," Genkai demanded, taking a seat.

Kurama related everything to the old woman, with Yusuke and Kuwabara adding their own bits and pieces. I curled up in the corner, trying hard to keep my face blank as their words flowed around me without my really hearing them. Whenever anyone's attention drifted to me, my body instantly stiffened up. My heart rate increased, and I hugged my legs to my chest. I was thankful whenever they went back to ignoring me.

When they began talking about the information I had obtained, my mind flashed back to those men touching me. Suddenly I could feel their hands on me again, and my stomach began to roll while my skin crawled. I squeezed my eyes shut in an attempt to clear my mind, but that made the sensations clearer, so I opened my eyes again. It took concentration to keep from screaming.

At the end of the story, Genkai turned to look at me, her eyes boring into mine. My breath caught in my throat as she stared. "I see," she said, tone suspiciously bland. The words were ominous enough to make my heart skip a beat. I had a sinking feeling that something bad was about to happen.

"Perhaps while we're doing some reconnaissance, you might shift gears in Myra's training and teach her how to defend her own mind?" Kurama suggested, his gaze drifting from me to Genkai and back again.

Genkai snorted. "That's a hopeless endeavor at this point. She doesn't have the willpower to defend her own mind against a wet noodle, let alone a jagan-wielder."

"Hey, she's not hopeless," Kuwabara protested, leaping to my defense. "She was the one who got us all that information."

"Yeah, you old hag. Didn't realize you've become so senile you can't teach someone a simple trick," Yusuke added, a frown on his face. I wasn't sure if he was sticking up for me or simply arguing to argue.

"If it's so simple, you teach her!" Genkai shot back, voice harsh.

"Well, I..." Yusuke stammered, visibly taken aback.

"That's what I thought." Genkai huffed, scowling at Yusuke. "You were relatively easy to teach, considering how stubborn and willful you are. You dig your feet in at every attempt to control or order you around." She jabbed a thumb in my direction. "Myra is the opposite. She's too used to jumping to obey orders."

"Okay...?" He absently rubbed the back of his head, his eyes distant and thoughtful. "So why can't you teach her?"

I watched Genkai's face begin to redden as a vein on her forehead slowly became more prominent. Her anger rapidly rose until she burst. "Stop being such a dimwit! It's easy to see why," she yelled before settling back down, although a muscle by her eye began to twitch.

"You're stubborn, so when someone starts whispering in your mind to do something, you're used to balking at it like every other order," she continued to explain. "Myra rushes to do what she's told, no matter what it is. For her to learn to protect her mind, I'll have to undo some of the habits she's developed. We simply don't have the time for that."

Guilt flooded me as I listened to her, rolling around with the other emotions to make a painful mix inside of me. I was giving them so many problems. It would be easier on them if I just left, although I couldn't bring myself to stand up and leave. I didn't want to draw their attention back to me. I needed to find a place to hide until I could force my emotions away again. I wasn't sure what to do, and my body began to shake with tension.

"Then perhaps something else?" Kurama interjected smoothly, cutting the fight off before it could really begin. "Is there some way to put up a temporary barrier around her mind?"

Kuwabara nodded his head. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea," he said. "How hard can it be?"

"Very," Genkai snapped, but her expression was thoughtful. "Still, it's not impossible. Myra wouldn't fight against a foreign energy inside her mind as many would."

Irritation bloomed inside my chest as they continued to talk about me as if I wasn't even there. No, they knew I was there. It was more like I was the pet dog, something that was important enough to talk about about, but was deemed too stupid to understand the conversation.

The anger warred with the guilt, making my gut twist and adding to the pounding in my head. The other emotions laid siege to me, demanding attention that I didn't want to give them. I pressed my hands over my ears and squeezed my eyes shut as tightly as I could manage. I wanted it all to stop. I wanted them to go away. If they would just leave then maybe the emotions would go with them. Why wouldn't they all go away?

A calloused hand grasping one of wrists brought me back to myself. I opened my eyes, finding myself looking into red eyes again. His grip was firm, and the touch anchored me, giving me something to hold on to despite the sea of emotions tossing about inside of me.

Hiei focused on me, and the attention didn't bother me. Instead I felt something sift through my mind, feeling like my father stroking my head to calm me when I had been scared as a child. I grasped onto that feeling like a lifeline in the middle of a storm-tossed sea. The memory combined with Hiei's grip on my wrist calmed me enough to think again.

With my emotions finally settled down a little, I realized how quiet the room was. Everyone had stopped talking. What was more, everyone was staring at me, most with wide eyes.

"You want it all to go away, huh?" Genkai asked, voice filled with wry amusement.

My face heated up, and I tried to scoot back a little more firmly into my corner. "I said that?" I asked softly after a few moments of silence, my voice coming out as little more than a squeak.

"You screamed it," Hiei commented, drawing my attention to him. His face was blank but for a slight frown, although that seemed to be Hiei's default expression. It was hard to see any emotion in his eyes, although there was something flickering in the depths of them. It was hidden enough that I couldn't quite make it out, although I didn't think he was angry with me.

I had screamed? Fear, guilt, and worry stormed through me, and I could easily imagine the punishments coming my way. "I- I'm sorry!" I stammered out. Part of me wanted to run away and hide, but I was riveted to the spot, unable to move and barely able to talk. "I didn't mean it."

"Is that so?" Genkai sat quietly for a moment, contemplating something with a serious expression on her face. "Well, either way we'll start with the mental defense training tomorrow while I come up with a way to put a protective barrier around your mind."

"I thought you said she was hopeless?" Yusuke asked, coming out of his stupor.

Genkai shrugged, as if the subject really wasn't that important. "We'll see," she replied. "Although it wouldn't be bad for her to know the basics even if she can't utilize them yet."

"Hiei and I will leave in the morning to do the reconnaissance. With the buildings spread out over Japan, it will take us a few days to check them all," Kurama stated, index finger tapping thoughtfully against his thigh.

Hiei released me, dark approval flashing through his eyes. He was probably ready to find Yukina; he probably missed her like everyone else. I missed her too. Her calm presence and insistent kindness always made me feel better.

"What about Myra?" Kuwabara wanted to know, concern in his voice, his eyes flickering me to. His expression was soft, although his lips were pressed together in a grim line. He was worried about me. "The bad guy with the jagan could have followed us here. He could attack her again."

Scowling darkly, Hiei turned to glare at the tall human. "He's nowhere near," he snarled. "I would have sensed him following us here."

"You didn't sense him last time," Kuwabara reminded him, jabbing a finger in the short man's direction. "None of us did."

Hiei growled, red eyes flashing in anger although he ceased to argue. He wasn't happy about the change in plans. I wasn't sure what to think about the change in situation, but I did know one thing. I was not going to be the source of his displeasure.

"I'll be fine," I said, tone braver than I felt. The guilt curdling in my stomach gave me more conviction than I really felt. I didn't want to make Hiei unhappy. "Send Hiei with Kurama." No one seemed to believe me, although my still trembling body probably didn't help matters.

Hiei spun around to glare at me, and the heat in his eyes made me instinctively recoil. He was a top notch predator, and I was prey. It would be foolish to challenge him, although I couldn't figure out why he would be angry with me. I was merely trying to support him and what he wanted to do. I cowered in the corner, and Hiei turned away, making an annoyed noise in the back of his throat.

"And if the enemy attacks your mind again as he did today? You have no mental defenses, and Hiei is the only one who can enter your mind to eject the other jagan's influence." The redhead made a frustrated sound, his hands clenching into fists for a moment. "As useful as Hiei would be in inspecting the different buildings, Kuwabara has a point. Hiei will be needed more here."

"I'll go with you," Yusuke volunteered, tone eager. His eyes sparkled like a kid at christmas.

"No," Kurama quickly replied, shaking his head. "If I was planning on fighting anyone, you would be a fine choice, but I plan on getting in and out with no one the wiser." He paused, considering his options, before he continued. "Kuwabara and I will go."

Yusuke made some token complaints before giving up when Kuwabara reminded him that he probably needed to go see Keiko.

"If you truly wish to contribute, talk to Botan and see about finding out what might be in the buildings now," Kurama told Yusuke, his tone consoling. "There was nothing in the detective safe houses back when I considered breaking into them, but that could have changed. There must be a reason our enemy has chosen that place to turn into their secret base."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll do that," Yusuke grumbled, looking less than mollified. Still, he waved goodbye, a cocky smile on his face. "See you all later. Don't do anything stupid until I come back."

Amidst the goodbyes, I slipped off to my room for some quiet. I felt bad for sneaking off, but I needed to be alone long enough to sort through things and deal with emotions I had not felt in years. It was as if the floodgates had opened and I had no defenses against the torrent of feelings.

When I walked into my room, little Hiei meowed loudly enough to wake the dead. He ran to me and began rubbing his sides against my ankles. I picked him up, holding him close and scratching behind his ears as he purred. The sound soothed me as the demon Hiei's touch had done earlier.

I sat down on the bed, cuddling the kitten as I mulled over everything that had happened. I certainly had not expected my emotions to come back so quickly or so forcefully. To be perfectly honest, I had believed I would spend the rest of my life without them. Of course, I also had not thought that anyone would be kind to me again, let alone protect me.

Everyone had set me off balance, and I couldn't quite seem to regain my footing. I no longer knew what to do or think, and I desperately needed something constant in my life that I could depend on. All the habits I had learned to deal with my mother no longer worked in my current situation.

I needed help and advice, but there was no one for me to go to for it. I was enough of a burden already, and I didn't need to add to the weight on everyone's shoulders. I had to deal with this on my own.

I wasn't sure how long I sat there in my room alone, trying every technique I could think of to calm my emotions back down. Counting just agitated me, controlled breathing did nothing, and my attempts at meditation failed for all that it seemed to help the most.

I tried to squash the emotions, force them back down, and shove them back behind a mental wall. Nothing worked. Each time they rose back up and attempted to strangle me.

I began to pace around the room, holding the kitten. Petting him seemed to calm me more than any of my other attempts, but I couldn't rely on the kitten forever. It wasn't like I could carry him around forever.

I heard my door open and I turned around. Genkai stood there, wrinkled face impassive. "That's enough brooding. We have training to do."

* * *

This chapter would not have been possible without the help of Unbridled, who was kind enough to allow me to bounce ideas off of her. She is the essence of awesome, and deserves a lot of thanks and a couple tons of cookies.


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